Mitchell Lancaster

Over the past 70 years, alkyl xanthates have been the most widely studied and utilized collectors in sulfide flotation. Sulfide ores were historically ‘clean/sweet’ and lacked mineralogical diversity that would necessitate high selectivity between different sulfides. Today, ores are becoming increasingly complex, variable, and heterogeneous necessitating challenging sulfide mineral separations in which xanthate can be an inappropriate collector choice. Mitchell Lancaster presents alternative chemistries such as dialkyl dithiophosphinates and modified thionocarbamates and dithiocarbamates as superior options to maximize selectivity and value mineral recoveries.