Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia):
Ivanova T. A., Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Zimbovskiy I. G., Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Getman V. V., Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, viktoriki.v@gmail.com
Karkeshkina A. Yu., Leading Engineer

The analytical reagent of dithiopyrilmethane (DTM) was used in flotation concentration of non-ferrous metal and gold ores. A set of physicochemical studies of the flotation and sorption properties of sulfide minerals (pyrite FeS₂, chalcopyrite CuFeS₂, galena PbS and sphalerite ZnS) was carried out in the presence of DTM. The photometric method was used to demonstrate that DTM is stable in the solid state and when stored in acid solutions in the absence of oxidizing agents. In an aqueous solution, DTM is oxidized by Fe³⁺ ions present on the pyrite surface with the formation of dithiopyrilmethane disulfide (DTMDS), which leads to a change in the hydrophobic properties of the surface of iron-containing minerals and ensures the selective action of the reagent. The flotation studies conducted showed that DTM, when in combination with butyl xanthate, exhibited collective activity towards ZnS, CuFeS₂, PbS and FeAsS. It was shown that DTM, as an independent reagent, exhibited a collective activity towards ZnS, CuFeS₂ and PbS in a weakly acidic medium, while the introduction of ammonium rodanide would increase the flotation yield of these minerals. Using electron and laser microscopy methods, the rate of dithiopyrilmethane adsorption was established for gold particles artificially deposited on polished sections of pyrite and arsenopyrite in the form of a poorly soluble complex compound with gold. In flotation of the gold-bearing ore from the Olimpiadinskoe deposit, the introduction of DTM into the slurry showed that, in the presence of butyl xanthate, DTM contributed to 6% higher FeAsS recovery as compared to the results obtained in the presence of butyl xanthate only.
The authors would like to thank Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences E. V. Koporulina and Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences V. A. Minaev for their assistance in the research.

1. Scherbakova L. V., Chebotarev V. K. The application of sulfur containing pyrazolone derivative in analytical chemistry: the review. Izvestiya Altayskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta. 2003. No. 3. pp. 37–48.
2. Shcherbakova L. V. Physico-chemical parameters of metal ion complexes with pyrazole thiou derivatives and method for determination of equilibrium constants: Dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Chemical Sciences. Altai State University. Barnaul, 2005. 152 p.
3. Ivanova T. A., Chanturiya V. A., Zimbovskiy I. G., Getman V. V. Investigation of mechanism of interaction of complexing agent diantipyrylmethane with sulfide minerals and cassiterite, included in the composition of refractory tin sulfide ores. Tsvetnye Metally. 2017. No. 10. pp. 8–13.
4. Dolgorev A. V., Lysak Ya. G., Zibarova Yu. F., Lukoyanov A. P. Dithiopyrylmethane and its analogs as analytical reagents. Synthesis and properties. Zhurnal Analiticheskoy Khimii. 1980. Vol. 35, No. 5. pp. 854–861.
5. Degtev M. I., Popova O. N. Extraction of metal ions by diantipyrylmethane and its analogues. Perm: Perm State National Research University, 2012. 236 p.
6. Tananayko M. M. Comparative characteristics of diantipyrylmethane rhodanide complexes of some metals. Zhurnal Neorganicheskoy Khimii. 1967. Vol. 12, No. 10. pp. 2687–2694.
7. Chanturiya V. A., Ivanova T. A., Koporulina E. V. The method of evaluation of interaction efficiency of flotation reagents with gold-bearing pyrite. Tsvetnye Metally. 2010. No. 8. pp. 16–19.
8. Ginzburg S. I., Gladyshevskaya K. A., Ezerskaya N. A., Ivonina O. M., Prokofyeva I. V., Fedorenko N. V., Fedorova A. N. Chemical analysis manual for platinum metals and gold. Moscow: Nauka, 1965. 314 p.
9. Osipova E. A. Water-soluble complexing polymers. Sorosovskiy Obshcheobrazovatelnyi Zhurnal. 1999. No. 8. pp. 40–47.
10. Bulut G., Arslan F., Atak S. Flotation behaviors of pyrites with different chemical compositions. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing. 2004. Vol. 21, No. 2. pp. 86–92.
11. Caldeira C. L., Ciminelli V. S. T., Dias A., Osseo-Asare K. Pyrite oxidation in alkaline solutions: nature of the product layer. Int. J. of Mineral Processing. 2003. Vol. 72, No. 1–4. pp. 373–386.
12. Pat. 515747 USSR.
13. Babko A. K., Tananayko M. M. Triple complexes in the system: organic base – metal – rhodanide. Ukrainskiy Khimicheskiy Zhurnal. 1958. Vol. 24, No. 4. pp. 499–505.
14. Dolgorev A. V. Photometric determination of palladium with dithiopyrylmethane in iron-based alloys. Zavodskaya Laboratoriya. 1978. Vol. 44, No. 2. pp. 146–147.
15. Ivanova T. A., Chanturia E. L. Application of complexing reagents to flotation separation of the varieties of pyrite. Journal of Mining Science. 2007. Vol. 43, No. 4. pp. 444–449.
16. Chandra A. P., Gerson A. R. A review of the fundamental studies of the copper activation mechanisms for selective flotation of the sulfide minerals, sphalerite and pyrite. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. 2009. Vol. 145. pp. 97–110.
17. Akimov V. K., Efremova L. V., Rudzit G. P. Interaction of arsenic with some derivatives of pyrazolone. Zhurnal Analiticheskoy Khimii. 1978. Vol. 33, No. 5. pp. 934–937.
18. Rudzit G. P., Akimov V. K., Efremova L. V. Complex compounds of arsenic and antimony with some thiopyrazolone derivatives and their extraction. Organic reagents in analytical chemistry: interuniversity collection of scientific works. Perm: Perm State University, 1983. pp. 102–109.
19. Dolgorev A. V., Lysak Ya. G. Extraction-photometric determination of gold by dithiopyrylmethane. Organic reagents in analytical chemistry: interuniversity collection of scientific works. Perm: Perm State University, 1978.
20. Agorhom E. A., Skinner W., Zanin M. Influence of gold mineralogy on its flotation recovery in a porphyry copper-gold ore. Chemical Engineering Science. 2013. Vol. 99, No. 9. pp. 127–138.
21. Dolgorev A. V., Lysak Ya. G. Dithiopyrylmethane and its homologues — new analytical reagents. Investigation of the complexation of dithiopyrylmethane with gold, bismuth and molybdenum. Zhurnal Analiticheskoy Khimii. 1974. Vol. 29, No. 9. pp. 1766–1770.
22. Petrov B. I., Chebotarev V. K., Shcherbakova L. V. Analytical chemistry. Pt. 2. Barnaul: Altai State University, 2013. 212 p.