Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• Synergistic activation with Cu2+ and Pb2+ significantly enhances hemimorphite flotation recovery compared to individual activation. • The combined activation forms a more robust adsorption layer on the mineral surface, increasing active product content and xanthate adsorption. • This innovative scheme improves surface hydrophobicity and reactivity, offering a promising approach for beneficiating refractory zinc oxide ores. • The study provides mechanistic insights into the synergistic effects of metal ions on hemimorphite flotation, guiding future reagent design.
Abstract
Hemimorphite exhibits poor floatability during sulfidization flotation. Cu2+ and Pb2+ addition enhances the reactivity of the hemimorphite surface and subsequently improves its flotation behavior. In this study, the mechanisms of Cu2+ + Pb2+ adsorption onto a hemimorphite surface were investigated. We examined the interaction mechanism of xanthate with the hemimorphite surface and observed the changes in the mineral surface hydrophobicity after the synergistic activation with Cu2+ + Pb2+. Microflotation tests indicated that individual activation with Cu2+ or Pb2+ increased the flotation recovery of hemimorphite, with Pb2+ showing greater effectiveness than Cu2+. Meanwhile, synergistic activation with Cu2+ + Pb2+ considerably boosted the flotation recovery of hemimorphite. Cu2+ and Pb2+ were both adsorbed onto the hemimorphite surface, forming an adsorption layer containing Cu or Pb. Following the synergistic activation with Cu2+ + Pb2+, the activated layer on the hemimorphite surface consisted of Cu and Pb and a larger amount of the active product compared with the surface activated by Cu2+ or Pb2+ alone. In addition, xanthate adsorption on the hemimorphite surface increased noticeably after synergistic activation with Cu2+ + Pb2+, suggesting a vigorous reaction between xanthate and the activated minerals. Therefore, synergistic activation with Cu2+ + Pb2+ effectively increased the content of active products on the hemimorphite surface, thereby enhancing mineral surface reactivity, promoting collector adsorption, and improving surface hydrophobicity.
1. Introduction
Zn is an essential industrial material that ranks behind Cu and Al in terms of nonferrous metal consumption [1]. In nature, zinc metal is primarily found in sulfide and oxide ores. Zinc sulfide ores are easily enriched through mineral processing; however, continuous extraction has led to the gradual depletion of these resources. The development and utilization of refractory zinc oxide minerals are of great importance in meeting the growing demand for Zn resources.
Zinc oxide minerals result from the prolonged weathering of zinc sulfide minerals in nature. Smithsonite (ZnCO3) is typically formed when sphalerite is oxidized by reacting with carbonate minerals. Hemimorphite (Zn4(Si2O7)(OH)2) is formed when smithsonite interacts with SiO2 and CO2. The mineral processing industry primarily uses flotation to enrich zinc oxide minerals. However, conventional flotation methods for treating zinc oxide ores often fail to achieve the ideal flotation index [2–3]. The floatability of gangue minerals in zinc oxide ores is similar to that of target minerals [4–6]. Therefore, effectively separating the target minerals from gangue minerals during flotation becomes challenging. In addition, zinc oxide ores contain considerable amounts of soluble salt minerals. Dissolving these salt minerals results in a high concentration of unavoidable ions in the pulp that deteriorate the flotation environment and reduce the selectivity of the flotation reagents [7–9].
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Qicheng Feng, Yingchao Zhang, Ga Zhang, Guang Han, Wenjuan Zhao (2025). Innovative scheme for hemimorphite flotation: Synergistic activation performance and mechanism. Int. Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (矿物冶金与材料学报). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-024-3016-3
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main challenge in hemimorphite flotation?
Hemimorphite exhibits poor floatability during sulfidization flotation, making it difficult to achieve ideal flotation recovery.
How does synergistic activation with Cu2+ and Pb2+ improve hemimorphite flotation?
The combined activation enhances the reactivity of the hemimorphite surface, increases the content of active products, promotes xanthate adsorption, and improves surface hydrophobicity, thereby significantly boosting flotation recovery.
What is the role of xanthate in the flotation process?
Xanthate acts as a collector that adsorbs onto the activated mineral surface, rendering it hydrophobic and enabling flotation separation.
Why is Pb2+ more effective than Cu2+ in individual activation?
Microflotation tests showed that Pb2+ alone resulted in higher flotation recovery of hemimorphite compared to Cu2+ alone, indicating a stronger activation effect.
What are the practical implications of this study?
The findings offer an innovative scheme for improving the flotation of refractory zinc oxide ores, potentially increasing resource utilization efficiency and economic benefits.
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