Detection of collectors on concentrator mineral grains by time of flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)

摘要

TOF-SIMS (time of flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry) was used to detect, identify and determine the relative concentrations of collectors sorbed on to the surface of mineral particles in concentrate and tailings samples from the Kidd Creek, Brunswick and Mata-gami concentrators, Canada. Parent molecular ions were used to identify the collectors. In the zinc circuit at Kidd Creek sphalerite lost to the tailings carried, on average, one-quarter of the amount of isobutyl xanthate present on sphalerite recovered to the Zn final concentrate. Xanthate was also detected on floated particles of pyrite. Amyl xanthate, which is not reported to be added to the circuit, was also detected on floated sphalerite and pyrite particles. In the Brunswick zinc circuit sphalerite particles lost to the scavenger tails had ten times less amyl xanthate and isobutyl xanthate than sphalerite recovered to the Zn final concentrate. Both xanthates were detected on the surface of sphalerite particles floated to the Cu-Pb cleaner concentrate. At Matagami significantly more isopropyl xanthate and isobutyl dithiophosphate were detected on sphalerite recovered to the Zn final concentrate than on sphalerite lost to the Zn rougher tails. The study demonstrated the ability of TOF-SIMS to detect individual collectors on the surfaces of mineral particles from plant samples and shows that the technique provides an excellent tool, complementary to time of flight laser-ionization mass spectrometry (TOF-LIMS), for establishing the surface compositions of minerals in mineral processing applications.