Mineralization oxygen role

Abstract This chapter reviews the development of froth flotation achieved in the past one hundred years and accounts for the achievements of the theory of flotation of sulphide minerals in four aspects, which are the natural flotahility of sulphide minerals, the role of oxygen in the flotation of sulphide minerals, the interaction of collectors with sulphide minerals, the effect of the semi-conductor property of sulphide minerals and electrochemical behaviors in the grinding system. Furthermore, the purpose of this book is revealed in the end. 

Perxanthate ion may also be implicated [59]. Even today, the exact nature of the surface reaction is clouded [59, 79-81], although Gaudin [82] notes that the role of oxygen is very determinative in the chemistry of the mineral-collector interaction. 

Oxygen is by far the most abundant element in cmstal rocks, composing 46.6% of the Hthosphere (4). In rock mineral stmctures, the predominant anion is, and water (H2O) itself is almost 90% oxygen by weight. The nonmetaUic elements fluorine, sulfur, carbon, nitrogen, chlorine, and phosphoms are present in lesser amounts in the Hthosphere. These elements aU play essential roles in life processes of plants and animals, and except for phosphoms and fluorine, they commonly occur in earth surface environments in gaseous form or as dissolved anions. 

Mossman, B.T. and Marsh, J.P. (1985). Mechanisms of cell toxic injury by asbestos fibres role of oxygen free radicals. In In vitro Effects of Mineral Dusts (eds. E.G. Beck and J. Bignon) pp. 66-81. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 

Acid drainage results from the reaction of sulfide minerals with oxygen in the presence of water. As we show in this section, water in the absence of a supply of oxygen gas becomes saturated with respect to a sulfide mineral after only a small amount of the mineral has dissolved. The dissolution reaction in this case (when oxygen gas is not available) causes little change in the water s pH or composition. In a separate effect, it is likely that atmospheric oxygen further promotes acid drainage because of its role in the metabolism of bacteria that catalyze both the dissolution of sulfide minerals and the oxidation of dissolved iron (Nordstrom, 1982). 

Role of Oxygen and Oxidation of Sulphide Minerals in Flotation... 

Finkelstein, N. P., 1999. Addendum to The activation of sulphide minerals for flotation a review. Inter. J. Miner. Process, 55(4) 283 - 286 Fomasiero, D., Montalti, M., Ralston, J., 1995. Kinetics of adsorption of ethyl xanthate on pyrrhotite in situ UV and infiared spectroscopic studies. Langmuir, 11 467 - 478 Forssberg, K. S. E., Antti, B. M., Palsson, B., 1984. Computer-assisted calculations of thermodynamic equilibria in the chalcopyrite-ethyl xanthate system. In M. J. Jones and R. Oblatt (eds.). Reagents in the Minerals Industry. IMM, Rome, Italy, 251 - 264 Fuerstenau, M. C., Kuhn, M. C., Elgillani, D. A., 1968. The role of dixanthogen in xaomthate flotation ofpyrite. Trans. AIME, 241 437 Fuerstenau, M. C. and Sabacky, B. J., 1981. Inter. J. Miner. Process, 8 79 - 84 Fuerstenau, M. C., Misra, M., Palmer, B. R., Xanthate adsorption on selected sulphides in the presence of oxygen. Inter. J. Miner. Process... 

The nature of oxygen transport within minerals in the presence of hydrothermal water and the role of diffusion. Chem. Geol. 53, 197-206. 

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