Electrochemical Flotation Separation of Sulphide Minerals

Abstract

This chapter is mainly about potential controlled flotation. First, the factors affecting potential controlled flotation are discussed, such as potential modifiers, pH modifier, frother, conditioning time, surface pretreatment and grinding environment. It is found that the flotation behavior of minerals modified by different potential modifiers or pH modifiers may differ from each other even at the same potential or the same pH. And other factors are also investigated to find the way of influencing the pulp potential to control the flotation behavior of minerals. Thereafter, some examples about potential controlled flotation are presented which are the flotation of copper sulphide minerals and the flotation of lead-zinc-iron sulphide minerals. As the last part, origin potential control flotation (OPCF) is introduced. The factors coupled with OPCF including grinding, lime dosage, aeratation and reagent schemes are all dicussed, which are different from the conventional flotation. In the end listed are some applications of OPCF technology.