Effect of sodium hexametaphosphate on separation of serpentine from pyrite

The effect of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) on the separation of serpentine from pyrite and its mechanism were studied systematically through flotation tests, sedimentation tests, surface dissolution, ζ potential tests, adsorption measurements, and infrared spectroscopic analyses. The results show that the SHMP could significantly reduce the adverse effect of serpentine on the flotation of pyrite and make the mixed sample of pyrite and serpentine more disperse in the alkaline condition, thus improve the adsorption of xanthate on pyrite. The action mechanism of the SHMP is that it lowers the pH value at the isoelectric point of serpentine and enhances the negative charge through the dissolution of magnesium from the surface of serpentine and adsorbing on the surface of serpentine. It changes the total interaction energy between serpentine and pyrite from gravitational potential energy to repulse potential energy, according to the calculation of the EDLVO theory.