mining flotation chemicals

Pine Oil Frother

CAS: 8002-09-3

Pine Oil is one of the oldest and most established flotation frothers, derived from steam distillation of pine wood resin. Its major active components, alpha- and beta-terpineol, produce a stable, workable froth that facilitates mineral recovery without excessive froth carry-over. Pine Oil frother is widely used in copper, gold, lead-zinc, and coal flotation operations, particularly where moderate froth stability and bubble size are required.

mining flotation chemicals

Polyacrylamide Flocculant (Non-ionic)

CAS: 9003-05-8

Non-ionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) is a high molecular weight polymer flocculant widely used in mineral processing for tailings thickening, water clarification, and solids settling in process circuits. Its non-ionic character makes it effective across a broad pH range and with various mineral types, bridging fine particles to form large, fast-settling flocs. Non-ionic PAM is particularly suited for tailings ponds, thickener overflow clarification, and recycled water management.

mining flotation chemicals

Polypropylene Glycol Frother (PPG Type)

CAS: 25322-69-4

Polypropylene Glycol (PPG) frothers are polymeric surfactants that produce persistent, fine-bubble froths suitable for flotation of fine particles and slimes. Their molecular weight and degree of propoxylation can be tailored to control froth stability, bubble size, and selectivity for specific ore applications. PPG frothers are particularly effective in fine coal flotation and in circuits where fine-particle recovery is a priority.

mining flotation chemicals

Potassium Amyl Xanthate (PAX)

CAS: 2720-73-2

Potassium Amyl Xanthate (PAX) is a strong collector for sulfide ores, particularly effective in copper, lead, and zinc flotation operations. Its longer carbon chain compared to shorter xanthates imparts greater collecting power and improved froth stability, making it suitable for processing lower-grade and complex sulfide ores. PAX is widely employed in selective flotation circuits requiring high metal recovery.

mining flotation chemicals

Potassium Ethyl Xanthate (KEX)

CAS: 140-89-6

Potassium Ethyl Xanthate (KEX) is a standard short-chain xanthate collector used extensively for base metal sulfide flotation, particularly copper, lead, and nickel ores. Its potassium salt form offers slightly enhanced solubility and stability compared to the sodium analogue. KEX is effective across a wide pH range and commonly used as a reference collector in flotation test programs.

mining flotation chemicals

Quicklime / Hydrated Lime (pH Regulator)

CAS: 1305-78-8

Lime (calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide) is the most widely used pH regulator in sulfide ore flotation, providing alkaline conditions essential for xanthate stability, pyrite depression, and selective collector performance. It is used at high dosages to maintain flotation pulp pH between 10-12, effectively depressing pyrite and activating cyanide-based depressant systems. Lime is also used in tailings dam management for neutralization and heavy metal precipitation.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash)

CAS: 497-19-8

Sodium Carbonate (soda ash) is a mild alkaline pH adjuster and activator used in flotation circuits to raise pulp pH to the range of 8-11, particularly suited for circuits where lime would cause excessive calcium ion concentrations that interfere with collector performance. It is widely used in non-ferrous metal sulfide flotation, glass sand purification, and as a conditioning agent for fatty acid collectors in oxide and carbonate mineral flotation.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Cyanide (Flotation Depressant Grade)

CAS: 143-33-9

Sodium Cyanide is a powerful depressant for sphalerite and pyrite in differential sulfide flotation, and serves as the primary leaching agent in gold and silver cyanidation processes. In flotation, it forms stable cyanide complexes with zinc and iron on mineral surfaces, preventing xanthate adsorption and enabling selective copper or lead flotation. Its use is highly regulated and requires strict safety management systems, with comprehensive training and emergency protocols mandatory.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Dibutyldithiocarbamate (SDBC)

CAS: 136-23-2

Sodium Dibutyldithiocarbamate (SDBC) is a long-chain dithiocarbamate collector offering stronger hydrophobic collecting power than its diethyl analogue. It is particularly effective for collecting copper, nickel, and cobalt sulfide minerals, and is used in circuits processing low-grade and refractory sulfide ores. SDBC can also serve as a secondary collector in combination with xanthates to enhance concentrate recovery.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate (SDDC)

CAS: 148-18-5

Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate (SDDC) is a selective dithiocarbamate collector used in the flotation of copper, nickel, and precious metal sulfide minerals. It exhibits strong chelating properties with heavy metal ions, making it highly effective for activating and collecting oxidized and mixed oxide-sulfide ores. SDDC is also used as a secondary collector to improve recovery in copper and gold circuits at lower reagent dosages.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Ethyl Xanthate (SEX)

CAS: 140-90-9

Sodium Ethyl Xanthate (SEX) is one of the most widely used collectors in copper and base metal sulfide flotation. Its short ethyl carbon chain provides good selectivity against pyrite under controlled pH conditions, making it ideal for selective copper flotation circuits. SEX dissolves readily in water and is compatible with a broad range of pH modifiers and frothers.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Fluoride (Feldspar Flotation Activator)

CAS: 7681-49-4

Sodium Fluoride is an activator used in the flotation of feldspar, quartz, and other silicate minerals, particularly in HF-based flotation circuits for the beneficiation of feldspar-quartz sand mixtures. Fluoride ions selectively activate feldspar surfaces over quartz, enabling their differentiation using amine collectors. Sodium Fluoride is also used as a pH modifier and activator in fluorite and phosphate ore flotation, and as a corrosion inhibitor in processing equipment.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Fluorosilicate (Fluorite Depressant)

CAS: 16893-85-9

Sodium Fluorosilicate is an inorganic reagent used in mineral flotation as a depressant and pH modifier, particularly effective in scheelite and fluorite separation circuits. It selectively depresses fluorite in the presence of scheelite, enabling enrichment of scheelite concentrate with reduced fluorite dilution. Sodium Fluorosilicate is also used in the glass industry and as a hardening agent for concrete, providing multiple application pathways for mining chemical suppliers.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Hexametaphosphate (SHMP)

CAS: 10124-56-8

Sodium Hexametaphosphate (SHMP) is an inorganic polyphosphate dispersant and depressant used in flotation circuits to prevent slime aggregation and depression of calcium-bearing gangue minerals such as calcite and apatite. It chelates calcium and magnesium ions from the slurry, reduces water hardness effects on collector efficiency, and disperses fine clay particles that would otherwise coat mineral surfaces. SHMP is widely used in fluorite, scheelite, and iron ore flotation.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Isoamyl Xanthate (SIAX)

CAS: 7009-95-2

Sodium Isoamyl Xanthate (SIAX) is a medium-chain xanthate collector offering a balance between collecting power and selectivity for sulfide mineral flotation. It is particularly effective for copper, lead, and zinc ores where moderate selectivity over pyrite is required. SIAX is often used in combination with shorter-chain xanthates to optimize collector performance across variable ore grades.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Isobutyl Xanthate (SIBX)

CAS: 25306-75-6

Sodium Isobutyl Xanthate (SIBX) is a powerful sulfide mineral collector widely used in copper and gold flotation circuits. It offers superior collecting power for chalcopyrite, bornite, and gold-bearing sulfide ores, delivering high recovery rates at low dosage. SIBX is supplied as a pale yellow powder or pellet and is readily soluble in water for easy preparation of collector solutions.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Metabisulfite (Cyanide Detoxification Agent)

CAS: 7681-57-4

Sodium Metabisulfite (SMBS) is the primary reagent used in the SO2/air cyanide detoxification process (INCO process) for treatment of gold mine tailings and process effluents containing free and weak-acid-dissociable cyanide. In the presence of copper catalyst and air, SMBS oxidizes cyanide to cyanate and thiocyanate, reducing cyanide concentrations to meet regulatory discharge standards. It is also used as a reducing agent in flotation circuits for cyanide destruction prior to tailings disposal.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Oleate (Flotation Grade)

CAS: 143-19-1

Sodium Oleate is an anionic fatty acid salt used as a collector in the flotation of iron ore, phosphate, and oxide mineral systems. It adsorbs onto the surface of iron oxide, carbonate, and phosphate minerals through chemisorption, providing an effective hydrophobic coating for flotation. Sodium Oleate is commonly used in direct and reverse flotation circuits for hematite, magnetite, and phosphate beneficiation.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Silicate (Flotation Depressant Grade)

CAS: 1344-09-8

Sodium Silicate is a versatile inorganic depressant and dispersant widely used in flotation circuits to depress gangue silicate minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and aluminosilicates, while allowing the target minerals to float. It also functions as a slime dispersant, preventing slime coating on mineral surfaces that would otherwise impair collector adsorption and selectivity. Sodium Silicate is available in various SiO2:Na2O modulus ratios suited to different flotation applications.

mining flotation chemicals

Sodium Sulfide (Oxide Ore Sulfidizer)

CAS: 1313-82-2

Sodium Sulfide is a sulfidizing agent used to convert the surface of oxidized copper, lead, and zinc minerals into sulfide-like surfaces, making them responsive to xanthate and dithiocarbamate collectors. This process, known as sulfidization, is fundamental to the flotation of oxide copper ores (malachite, azurite) and mixed oxide-sulfide ores where conventional xanthate collectors alone are insufficient. Sodium Sulfide enables recovery of oxide minerals that would otherwise be lost to tailings.

mining flotation chemicals

Starch Depressant (Iron Ore Grade)

CAS: 9005-25-8

Modified corn or cassava starch is used as a selective depressant for iron oxide minerals (hematite, magnetite) in reverse silica flotation circuits. The starch adsorbs preferentially on iron oxide surfaces, preventing their flotation with cationic amine collectors while allowing silica and silicate gangue to be floated away. Starch depressant is the cornerstone reagent in the Brazilian iron ore industry and is widely adopted in iron ore beneficiation plants globally.

mining flotation chemicals

Sulfonated Oleic Acid (Modified Fatty Acid Collector)

Sulfonated Oleic Acid is a chemically modified fatty acid collector that combines the collecting properties of oleic acid with the water-solubility advantages of a sulfonate group. The sulfonation imparts higher water solubility and cold-water dispersibility compared to unmodified oleic acid, making it more effective in flotation circuits operating at ambient or low temperatures. It is used in carbonate, phosphate, and iron ore flotation as a high-performance alternative to conventional fatty acid collectors.

mining flotation chemicals

Sulfuric Acid (Flotation Grade)

CAS: 7664-93-9

Sulfuric Acid is used in flotation circuits to lower pulp pH, activate mineral surfaces, and prepare reagent solutions. In acid circuit flotation, it activates sulfide minerals such as chalcocite and native copper by removing oxide surface films, improving xanthate adsorption and collector response. It is also used to dissolve and prepare alkaline reagent solutions such as xanthates and frothers in concentrate and tailings processing.

mining flotation chemicals

Tall Oil Fatty Acid (TOFA)

CAS: 61790-12-3

Tall Oil Fatty Acid (TOFA) is a natural mixed fatty acid collector derived from pine wood pulping processes, widely used in the flotation of iron ore, phosphate, scheelite, and other oxide minerals. Its mixture of oleic and linoleic acids provides broad-spectrum collecting ability for carbonate and oxide mineral surfaces. TOFA is a cost-effective alternative to pure oleic acid and is favored in large-tonnage iron ore and phosphate beneficiation plants.