The strong contamination of the interface is the main problem that results in low flotation efficiency of sphalerite in cyanide tailings. However, the consumption of cyanide and dissolved oxygen, as well as the concentration of ions including Zn2+ and SCN− in the leaching solution, decreased with the use of ceramic ball medium. The conclusions obtained from SEM–EDS indicated that the use of ceramic ball medium avoided the excessive surface oxidation caused by the galvanic couple actions between the iron ball medium and the sphalerite. XPS analysis also proved that the chemical environment on the surface of sphalerite was optimized by porcelain ball medium compared with iron ball medium, avoiding the formation of Fe–OOH and Fe–O hydrophilic substances, especially [Fe(CN)6]3−, thus increasing the adsorption of the collector on the surface of sphalerite. Therefore, grinding with ceramic ball medium exhibited excellent performance in terms of the cyanide process, which was approximately 5%–10% higher than that obtained by grinding with iron ball media in the flotation test.

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An Investigation into the Effects of Grinding Medium on Interface Characteristics and Flotation Performance of Sphalerite in Cyanide System

Abstract The effect of the collector and its blends on sequential flotation of a complex lead-zinc ore has been investigated. Lead-zinc ore collected from Rajasthan, India showed the presence of PbS-2.21%, ZnS-5.92%, FeS2-8.03%, SiO2-20.21%, Al2O3-5.25%, MgO-10.53%, SO3-6.48% and CaO-22.16%. The copper and silver were also traced as minor fractions. Xanthates of different alkyl chain lengths as a collector (individual or mixture in various proportions) were used in the lead circuit to evaluate valuables’ performance in the mineralized pulp. The study could enhance the lead and zinc grade up to 27.95% and 22.6% using PEX (potassium ethyl xanthate) and SIPX (sodium isopropyl xanthate) as a blend. The best overall performance in the recovery of lead and zinc was 74.39% and 82.23%, respectively. However, the studies carried out with individual collectors, PEX and SIPX, showed their best result: 22.06% lead and 20.99% zinc grade, 60.54% lead, and 78.73% zinc recovery. The study confirms the synergies between the two alkyl chain length xanthates in the blend. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Sagarika Nanda

Papers

Flotation behavior of a complex lead-zinc ore using individual collectors and its blends for lead sulfide