The thermodynamic analysis of the reactivity of metal ions’ complexes with flotation reagents

Abstract

The interrelation between the kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of metal ions’ complexes with potassium butylxanthate and sodium dibutyldithiophosphate, and physical-chemical parameters of minerals were considered. The correlation dependences for the activation energy of the decomposition of dibutyldithiophosphate complexes of metals and an average atomic Gibbs energy of formation of sulfide minerals were determined. The Evans-Polanyi-Semenov principle for complexes of metal ions with S- and P-containing ligands was confirmed. The X-ray results analysis showed that the concentrate contained chalcopyrite, pyrite, chalcocite and galena minerals. Further the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of formation of complexes on the sulfide minerals’ surface were calculated according to the proposed dependencies using the averaged atomic Gibbs energy. The interaction process of sodium dibutyldithiophosphate with sulfide minerals of Py-Cu-Zn ore was described as diffusional interaction observed for the majority of minerals, and the kinetic interaction observed only for chalcocite, which corresponds to the formation of durable surface compounds. It was established that heat of complex formation processes correlates with the energy density of minerals in particular. In this regard, both kinetic and thermodynamic components of solution and solid substance (mineral) should be taken into account to develop flotation reagent regime for polymetallic ores.