St. Petersburg State Mining University (Russia):

Zakhvatkin V. V., Associate Professor

The experimental data related to conditions of heavy metals ethylxanthates' precipitates formation — lead, zinc, mercury, copper, nickel and iron - and their flotation properties under laboratory conditions in froth flotation apparatus are presented. The рН ranges are determined, with which metals xanthates' precipitates are formed. Flotation of all precipitates was conducted under comparable conditions in a modified Hallimond chamber with nonionic frother. It is shown, that heavy metals xanthates' precipitates flotation kinetics is well-described by Beloglazov equation. The process course does not depend on floated precipitate quantity, that is, pulp density (by precipitate) does not affect the experiments' final results with constancy of conditions provided. It is shown, that the studied xanthates flotation rate is inversely proportional to their hydrophobization factor (hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance in metal xanthate molecule). The established heavy metals xanthates flotation special features will permit, on the basis of hydrophobization factor differences, to solve the problems of collagens selective flotation - heavy metals cations flotation from industrial waste waters of different production operations, even if solubility of different precipitates will differ little in absolute value. Efficiency of selective metals recovery from diluted solutions will increase with increasing difference in hydrophobization factors of separated xanthates. Commercially, metals xanthates flotation should be performed in apparatuses with a low level of energy dissipation, e.g., in vibratory flotation machines.

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