Electroflotation Recovery of a Mixture of Cu, Ni, and Zn Hydroxides from Aqueous Ammonia Alkaline Solutions

Abstract

Electroflotation recovery of a mixture of copper, zinc, and nickel hydroxides from aqueous ammonia alkaline solutions was studied. It was shown that such an anionic surfactant as tall oil soaps from coniferous wood improves the efficiency of the electroflotation recovery of the mixture of hydroxides by decreasing the process time by a factor of 4–5, extending the pH range, and forming a more stable froth product. A scheme was proposed to describe the surface charge formation, the surfactant and ligand adsorption on the dispersed phase of metal hydroxides, and their influence on the electroflotation process.