Collectors for Precious Metals Mining

These products are xanthate replacements with much more stability in both acid and alkaline circuits and in solution. They are very powerful sulfide collectors primarily used in bulk sulfide flotation for ores containing iron sulfides associated with precious metals, copper, lead, zinc and nickel.  

• More stable than xanthate.
• Good xanthate replacements.
• Strong collecting power for sulphides containing precious metals and pyrite.

COLLECT-ORE™ C122 is a formulated collector offering unique benefits in the flotation of copper and copper-gold ores. In copper circuits, the unique formulation enhances copper selectivity and enables a high recovery. When used in precious metals containing ores, it is designed to boost gold recovery in Cu/Au circuits.

• High selectivity against pyrite.
• Selective towards copper in Cu-Pb-Zn flotation.
• Exhibits good activity over a wide pH range.
• Affinity towards precious metals.

These collectors exhibit an affinity for precious metals (Au, Ag, Pt), and they are typically used as a secondary collector in combination with a stronger xanthate. These products tend to offer enhanced selectivity against iron sulfides, particularly pyrite and they are ideal when the recovery of copper minerals associated with precious metals is desired. They are effective collectors in the flotation of sulfide minerals and precious metals in highly acidic to moderately alkaline circuits, while offering enhanced selectivity against iron sulfides. They may offer improved flotation kinetics compared to similar collectors.

• Provide optimum recovery of both copper and precious metals.
• Excellent selectivity against iron sulfides.
• Lower dosage requirement compared to traditional sulfide collectors.
• Functional over a wide pH range.

These collectors are proprietary formulations suitable for precious metals collection in copper ores and platinum group mineral ores. They offer high recovery of sulfide minerals associated with precious metals. They also offer high stability across a wide pH range. The collectors are insoluble in water and are often added to the grinding mill or pre-conditioning tank.

• Improved copper recovery.
• Fast kinetics.
• Improved recovery of precious metals associated with sulfide minerals.
• Lower dosage requirement compared to traditional sulfide collectors.

These are aqueous collectors based on formulations of mercaptobenzothiazoles. These products are used for the flotation of sulfides containing copper, lead, zinc and nickel and for the flotation of iron sulfides in acid circuits. They also have a special utility for slow floating tarnished minerals and where sulfidization is used.

• Strong bulk sulphide collector suitable for collecting gold and PGMs in pyrite and pyrrhotite.
• They are also useful collectors for nickel sulfides such as pentlandite and nickeliferrous pyrrhotite and pyrite.
• Improve the kinetics of slow floating, tarnished minerals alone or with sulfidizers.

These collectors are used primarily for the flotation of sulfide ores containing copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold. Nalco Water's technical specialists can modify the collector functional chemistry to alter the collector activity, frothing characteristics and pH operating range, making these base thiol chemistries a very versatile series of products.

• Selective against pyrite.
• Suitable for gold flotation at all pH values.
• More stable than xanthates.

These collectors are widely used in multi-metal sulfide ore when the strongest collecting power is required and selectivity. PAX is the most powerful and least selective of all the commercially used xanthates. Flottec PAX is also recommended for oxidized or tarnished ores due to its pulling power.

• Provide high collecting power.
• Cheaper than most strong sulphide collectors.
• Suitable for oxidised ores.

This is a stronger collector than sodium isopropyl xanthate and is fairly selective. It is most commonly used in zinc flotation circuits because it is selective against iron sulfides at high pH while aggressively collecting the copper-activated zinc.

• Higher selectivity than PAX.
• Compromise between collecting power and selectivity against pyrite.
• Strong primary collector.

This is a widely used collector in multi-metal sulphide ore for good compromise between collecting power and selectivity. It is a stronger collector than potassium ethyl xanthate and is fairly selective. It can float all sulfides but is not recommended for scavenging or high grade sulfides. It is most commonly used in zinc flotation circuits because it is selective against iron sulfides at high pH  while aggressively collecting the copper-activated zinc. It has also been used to float pyrite and pyrrhotite if the iron sulfide grade is fairly low and the pH is low.

• Higher selectivity than most xanthates.
• Higher selectivity against pyrite.
• Strong primary collector when pH is low.
• Good collection of activated sphalerite.