C. Synthetic polymeric depressants
Over the past several years, Cytec has conducted extensive research
on the development of synthetic polymeric depressants to address
some of the drawbacks associated with the aforementioned tradi-
tional depressants. These new products offer many potential advan-
tages: better dosage-performance and lower treatment costs, ease
of handling, lower toxicity, ease of structural modifications to suit
different applications and ore variability, and consistency from batch
to batch.
Reagent S-7260 depressant
This product has shown considerable promise in both laboratory
and plant tests for the depression of Cu and Fe sulfides in Cu/Mo
separation. The dosages required are often one-tenth of those
required for traditional depressants such as NaHS and Nokes
reagent. Under certain conditions a combination of AERO 7260
depressant and NaHS has given the best performance. In these cases
a small amount of NaHS is used to provide the initial ideal pulp
potential range of –450 to –500 mV (Au electrode vs. Ag/AgCl).
One of the important advantages of using this combination is that
the depressant effect is not adversely affected by aeration, as it is in
the case of NaHS alone.
Other applications include: depression of iron sulfides and spha-
lerite in Cu and Pb circuits; depression of penalty elements, such as
Sb, As and Bi, in Cu and Cu/Pb circuits; depression of sulfide
minerals during the flotation of talc and other non-sulfide gangue
minerals from sulfide ores or concentrates.
Reagent S-7262 depressant
The applications of this depressant are similar to those of AERO
7260, but this product is recommended where maximum selectivity
is required.
Reagent S-7261A depressant
This functionalized polymer is used for the depression of pyrrhotite
in Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn circuits.
Reagent S-8860 and S-9349 depressants
These functionalized polymers are used for the depression of Mg
silicates such as talc, pyrophyllite, serpentines, olivines and pyrox-
enes. The benefits of these depressants have been demonstrated on
Flotation of sulfide ores
127