Effect And Elimination Of Inevitable Ions In Selective Flotation Between Smithsonite And Quartz

Smithsonite is one of the most important minerals of zinc oxide that can be used in industry, silicate minerals such as quartz are the common and main gangue. In process of collecting minerals of zinc oxide, flotation seperation of smithsonite and quartz is still a problem, though there are many researches on the removement of silicate minerals from zinc oxide. The flotation behaviour of smithsonite and quartz in the pulp system including Ca2+、Zn2+or Cu2+ion, respectively, was studied through monomineral flotation texts. The effect and mechanism of metal ions and regulars for instance water glass and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) on smithsonite and quartz in the above three systems were both investigated through solution chemistry calculations, zeta potential measurements, adsorption measurements, FT-IR measurements and SEM-EDAX. The main conclusions of the thesis are indicated as follows.1、Smithsonite shows good floatability using sodium oleate as collector in alkaline pH values, while quartz can hardly float. But in the actual pulp, there are always many kinds of ions such as Ca2+、Zn2+and Cu2+that can activate quartz and remarkable increase its flotability.2、The diposit on the surface of minerals is the reason quartz can be actived by three metal ions(Ca2+、Zn2+and Cu2+). The main active substance on the surface of minerals are CaO3(s)、Zn(OH)2(s) and Cu(OH)2(s) respectively, in the metal ions system with Na2CO3as pH regulator.3、The floatability differences of smithsonite and quartz can be increased by adding water glass prior to Ca2+ion in the system containing Ca2+ion. While in the flotation system with Zn2+and Cu2+, respectively, quartz can be inhibited by combining the reagents(water glass and SHMP) and selecting SHMP as inhibitor, meanwhile smithsonite keeps good floatability. In addition, the floatability differences of smithsonite and quartz are increased with the low concentration of Zn2+and Cu2+ion, respectively, which both lower than1.5×10-4mol/L.4、The adsorption density differences of collector on the surface of smithsonite and quartz can be increased, by adding water glass prior to the pulp within Ca2+ion. Collector can be selective adsorbed to the surface of smithsonite by combining the reagents(water glass and SHMP) in the system including Zn2+and Cu2+, respectively. Then floatability differences of smithsonite and quartz can be increased and the goal of this separation can be attained.