Flotation reagent and process

• US 4,136,020 A
• Filed: 11/11/1976
• Issued: 01/23/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Essex Chemical Corp. (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minerec Corporation
• Inventors: Fischer, Arthur H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Halper, Robert
• Application Number:
  US05/740,844
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 209/166, 252/61, 260/455 A
• US Class Current: 209/166
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 1/012 containing sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 2201/04 Frothers
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 2203/02 Ores

Abstract

The performance of xanthogen formates as reagents for the flotation of sulfide copper ores is significantly improved by reacting the xanthogen formate with an aromatic amine. In a preferred embodiment, up to about 20% of an aromatic diamine, most particularly o-phenylene diamine and o-toluene diamine, is used.

Claims

1. A flotation promoter comprising a mixture of:

an alkyl xanthogen formate having alkyl radicals of 1-6 carbon atoms; and

the reaction products of said xanthogen formate and an aromatic amine selected from the group consisting of o-toluene diamine, o-phenylene diamine, o-toluidine and o-xylidene, said amine comprising 5-40 wt.% of the reaction mixture.

2. The flotation promoter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said amine is a diamine, and comprises about 5 to 20 wt.% of the reaction mixture.

3. A flotation promoter consisting essentially of a fully reacted mixture of an alkyl xanthogen formate with alkyl radicals of 1-6 carbon atoms and an aromatic diamine selected from the group consisting of o-toluene diamine and o-phenylene diamine, said diamine comprising 5 to 20 wt.% of the reaction mixture.

4. A flotation promoter consisting essentially of a fully reacted mixture of an alkyl xanthogen formate with alkyl radicals of 1-6 carbon atoms and an aromatic monoamine selected from the group consisting of o-toluidine and o-xylidine, said monoamine comprising 5 to 40 wt.% of the reaction mixture.

5. The process for beneficiating copper sulfide ores by froth flotation in the presence of a flotation promoter to recover copper concentrate comprising:

providing an aqueous pulp of said ore;

adding as said promoter a mixture of an alkyl xanthogen formate with alkyl radicals of 1-6 carbon atoms and the reaction product of said xanthogen formate and an aromatic amine selected from the group consisting of o-toluene diamine, o-phenylene diamine, o-toluidine and o-xylidine, said amine comprisine 5 to 40 wt.% of the reaction mixture; and

recovering a copper concentrate.

6. The process for producing an improved flotation reagent comprising:

providing an alkyl xanthogen formate having alkyl radicals of 1-6 carbon atoms;

cooling the formate and adding thereto under conditions of agitation the indicated percent of a liquid aromatic amine selected from the group consisting of o-toluene diamine (5-20%) o-phenylene diamine (5-20%) o-toluidine (5-40%) and o-xylidine (5-40%), said percentages being wt. percents of the reaction mixture; and

recovering the resulting mixture comprising unreacted xanthogen formate and the liquid reaction products of said xanthogen formate and said amine.