Use of sodium sulfosalicylate as an activator in hemimorphite sulfidation xanthate flotation

Abstract

The effects of sodium sulfosalicylate activation and sodium sulfide sulfidation on hemimorphite flotation were studied. Dissolution tests revealed that the surface solubility of hemimorphite in the presence of sodium sulfosalicylate and sodium sulfide was significantly decreased. Local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements showed that the impedance of the hemimorphite surface decreased from 5.93E + 04 Ω (direct sulfidation) to 5.66E + 04 Ω (activation and sulfidation), thereby indicating that more sulfide was present on the activated hemimorphite surface. When sodium sulfosalicylate was added, a more negative zeta potential was obtained during sulfidation flotation from pH 8–12. Herein, we showed using DMOL-3 models that the addition of sodium sulfosalicylate ions catalyzed the formation of ZnS, and made the sulfidation process simple and efficient. FTIR spectroscopy results indicated that the adsorptions of xanthate onto the hemimorphite surface after direct sulfidation and activation and after sulfidation were minimal and substantial, respectively. All results showed that sulfosalicylic acid ions helped form more zinc sulfide on the mineral surface.