Utilisation of hydroxamates in minerals froth flotation

Following a critical review of the utilisation of chelating reagents (hydroxamates) in minerals flotation, results of a series of experiments performed in the presence of an experimental commercial hydroxamate as collector, at bench scale with two different ores and in a microflotation cell with several combinations of minerals (most of them “sparingly soluble minerals”) are presented. The conclusion is that the selectivity of minerals flotation with hydroxamates depends on a balance between the solubility of the mineral and the stability of the complex formed with the cation of the lattice. A favourable condition for the selective utilisation of hydroxamates as collectors is visualised if the mineral to be floated is the most soluble in the system and the chelate formed between the cation in the lattice and hydroxamate is the most stable.