Comparison of hexamethylenedithiocarbamate and tetramethylenedithiocarbamate as flotation reagents for the concentration of zinc

摘要

A procedure for zinc flotation separation from fresh water prior to its determination by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) has been developed. Hexamethyleneammonium hexamethylenedithiocarbamate (HMA-HMDTC) added to the first precipitate collector of hydrated Fe(III) oxide (Fe2O3 . xH(2)O) gives the second precipitate collector of Fe(HMDTC)(3). After addition of a surfactant, the precipitate of collectors is separated from the water phase by a stream of air bubbles, dissolved by strong acid and the solution then tested by AAS. The experimental parameters (amount of collector used, pH, ionic strength, type of foaming reagent, zeta potential, induction time etc.) affecting the flotation efficiency were optimized. At a pH of 6, Zn is separated quantitatively (98.5%) by addition of 5 mg Fe(III) and 3 mt 0.1 mol/L HMA-HMDTC to the sample. Re suits are compared with those obtained by ammonium tetramethylenedithiocarbamate. [References: 22]