Mitsuo Mamiya

Study on Dixanthogen as a Collector for Pyrite

In order to ascertain the mechanism of copper activation in the flotation of pyrite, the collecting properties of dixanthogen on pyrite produced by the reaction between copper and xanthate were investigated by flotation tests. Also the quantity of dixanthogen formed by the oxidation of xanthate at the surface cf pyrite was determined colorimetrically using pyridine as solvent. From the above experiments the following conclusions were summarized. 1) Both xanthate and dixanthogen showed the identical effect on the floatability of pyrite under various concentrations of them, pH values and conditioning times. 2) Considerable amounts of dixanthogen were found from the pyrite ore pulp containing xanthate and dissolved oxygen which may be assumed to act as a collector for pyrite. 3) It cannot be expected that dixanthogen derived from xanthate by copper ion is responsible entirely for the copper activation of pyrite.