Minerals Beneficiation - Flotation of Oxidized Zinc Ores

Six years of laboratory study, followed by three years of mill operation treating more than 10,000 tons of ore, have established the flotation of oxidized zinc ores with fatty amines as an efficient process. Recently the method has been applied with success to partially oxidized sulphide ores. In this paper the authors give an account of their research and the milling results obtained in Sardinia since 1951. CONCENTRATION of oxidized copper and lead ores by flotation has been practiced for 30 years, but flotation of oxidized zinc ores has remained unsolved until a few years ago. This problem is, however, of great importance in mining districts where large tonnages of oxidized zinc ores exist in underground mines or in dumps. Some sulphide ores also possess a degree of oxidation high enough to justify recovery of oxide zinc minerals. Various attempts have been made to float the zinc carbonate, smithsonite. It is well known' that smithsonite can be collected with fatty acids, but as the predominant gangue constituents, limestone and dolomite. are floatable with the same reagents, fatty acids are difficult to use. Gaudin has shown,' on mixture of pure minerals, that smithsonite can be floated with higher xanthates, or better, with higher mercaptans. Another procedure, briefly mentioned by Davis," consists in sulphidizing the ore, activating the zinc carbonate with copper sulphate, and floating with ordinary xanthates. This process was attempted in the writers' laboratory in 1946, but results were erratic. It has since been taken up by Italian engineers and is in operation on certain types of ores. Two other research projects should be mentioned. In 1942 Erlenmeyer and others' floated synthetic mixtures of smithsonite and gangue minerals with hydroxyquinoline, an analytical reagent for zinc. On the other hand, Bunge, Fine, and Legsdin published in 19465 Some interesting results obtained on Missouri oxidized zinc ores. With sodium oleate as a collector and a combination of sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate, and citric acid as a limestone depressor, they secured, after four cleaning operations, a good grade of concentrate. With many ores this reagent combination lacks adequate selectivity. In 1939 M. Rey initiated a program of research on this important problem. Work was pursued first at the School of Mines in Liége, Belgium"' and later in Paris in the laboratories of Société Miniére et Mbtallurgique de Penarroya and Société Minerais et Métaux. Reagents used in the beginning were higher xanthates and mercaptans, later fatty amines. Sulphidization with sodium sulphide was found necessary. These conditions make possible the flotation of zinc carbonate and zinc silicate. Two milling plants were put in operation in Sardinia in 1950 and several others are now contemplated." ' It should be mentioned that unknown to the present writers McKenna, Lessels, and Peterson were