Application of a novel nanoparticle collector in the flotation separation of serpentine-containing pyrrhotite

In the present investigation, ethyl xanthate (SEX) was initially utilized as a collector, revealing a marked decrease in the flotation recovery of pyrrhotite attributable to surface coverage by serpentine slimes. To overcome this challenge, three polystyrene nanoparticle collectors—namely PS, PS-VI, and PS-MVT—were synthesized through emulsion polymerization. Flotation experiments demonstrated that all three nanoparticle effectively mitigated the detrimental impact of serpentine coating on pyrrhotite flotation, with PS-VI exhibiting the most pronounced performance. Subsequent analyses involving adsorption capacity measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were conducted to elucidate the adsorption behavior of PS-VI on pyrrhotite surfaces. Findings indicated that, in the presence of serpentine coatings, the positively charged PS-VI nanoparticles diminished the extent of serpentine coverage and adsorbed within the interstices of the serpentine layer via a combination of electrostatic and chemical adsorption mechanisms. Bubble collision experiment shown that this adsorption behavior facilitated the formation of the three-phase contact line (TPCL) on pyrrhotite surfaces, thereby enhancing the recovery of pyrrhotite compromised by serpentine coatings while concurrently reducing the entrainment of serpentine.