Selective flotation separation of galena from sphalerite via chelation collectors with different nitrogen functional groups

Abstract Nitrogen functional groups often provide excellent collecting selectivity and efficiency for collector molecules because of the rational alkalinity as Lewis base and the delicate affinity for metal ions. In this work, 1,3-diphenylthiourea (DPTU), 2-acetylhydrazine-1-carbothioamide (ADCT), (E)-1,5-diphenylthiocarbazone (DPTZ) were used as novel selective collectors for the flotation of galena/sphalerite mixed system, and universal collector sodium ethyl-xanthate (SEX) was used as the reference collector. The flotation results showed that collector with more nitrogen atoms (DPTZ) offered better selectivity for the flotation separation of galena from a galena/sphalerite mixed mineral system. Separation selectivity, FTIR and XPS studies showed, in the case that collector solution environment pH value