Interaction of thiol collectors with pre-oxidised sulfide minerals

Abstract

In order to determine whether pre-oxidation results in a change in the identity of the products of the interaction of sulfide minerals with flotation collectors, chalcocite or galena surfaces that had been exposed to air were treated with diethyl dithiophosphate (DTP) or iso -butyl xanthate (BX), respectively, in a borate buffer solution of pH 9.2. The resulting surfaces were studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS). The metal oxidation products formed on each mineral surface during the exposure to air were removed by immersion in water or the buffer solution alone and, to avoid this happening in collector soluti..