Flotation Depressants / Promoters | Arkema Specialty Surfactants

The mining industry faces many challenges, most notably lower-quality ore reserves. With the decreasing quality of mined feed, more sophisticated techniques are needed to achieve industry-required mineral specifications. In many cases, more than the typical means of altering pH or applying different chemistries is required to achieve the necessary mineral selectivity to meet grade and recovery targets. Flotation depressants that prevent the collector from attaching to undesired minerals or flotation promoters that encourage the collector to attach to the desired mineral are often needed.

Depressants in froth flotation are used to increase the efficiency of the flotation process by selectively inhibiting the interaction of one mineral with the collector, for example, the depression of quartzite to allow for more optimal apatite/collector interaction, thus improving final recovery and grade.

Promoters in froth flotation enhance the attachment of the primary collector to the desired mineral to be recovered. When used in conjunction with a collector, promoters have been shown to improve recoveries and concentrate grades and enhance flotation kinetics. Flotation promoter experiments are routinely explored with standard flotation reagents to increase recovery, selectivity, and yield.

Arkema’s CustoPrep^® flotation depressants and promoters have been custom developed for various applications. They help depress gangue minerals or promote the desired mineral, increasing recovery and selectivity without sacrificing grade. Our flotation depressants and promoters have proven effective, especially in phosphate, silica/glass sand, and iron beneficiation.