This study has been done to determine the galvanic interaction between five types of grinding media (mild steel, cast iron, 10% chromium, 20% chromium, and ceramic media) and galena, in situ of the mill. The ceramic media has a significantly not galvanic interaction with galena and high chromium media has a significantly weaker galvanic interaction with galena, and produces a very much lower amount of oxidize iron species in the mill discharge than mild steel medium. The investigation of the various reactions occurring on the galena surface was investigated by ethylene diamine-tetra acetic acid disodium salt (EDTA) extraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. The floatability of galena is dependent on the galvanic current between grinding media and galena during grinding because the current is relative to the amount of iron oxidation species and the reduction rate on galena. Iron oxidation species depressed galena flotation. The optimum galena flotation was achieved by selecting grinding conditions that enabled iron oxidation to be controlled.
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