The use and dosage of sodium sulfite in mining dressing agent

The use of sodium metabisulfite in mineral processing agents, usage methods and dosage. Sodium metabisulfite is mainly used as an inhibitor in mineral processing. The following is the relevant information on its use, usage methods and dosage:

use:
Inhibition of sphalerite and pyrite: Sodium pyrosulfite decomposes copper xanthate and copper sulfide-like components on the surface of sphalerite through sulfite ions, oxidizes the mineral surface, promotes the formation of zinc hydroxide, and thus inhibits sphalerite; it also has an inhibitory effect on pyrite. However, it has no inhibitory effect on chalcopyrite, but can activate chalcopyrite.
Directions:
Prepare the solution: Dissolve sodium metabisulfite in water to prepare a solution of a certain concentration. Because sulfite is easily oxidized and ineffective in the slurry, the solution must be prepared on the day of use.
Staged addition: In order to maintain the stability of the inhibitory effect, the staged addition method is usually adopted38.
Used in combination with other agents: For example, in the beneficiation of high-iron sphalerite, it can be combined with calcium chloride, polyamine, sodium humate, etc. to form a combined inhibitor. When used, the ore and lime are first ground; then the slurry is sent to the flotation machine, and auxiliary agents are added for roughing and scavenging to obtain lead rough concentrate, middlings and lead tailings and other subsequent operations24.
Dosage:
There is no fixed standard value for the dosage of sodium metabisulfite, which will be affected by many factors such as ore properties, mineral processing technology, slurry concentration, pH value, etc. Generally speaking, the optimal dosage needs to be determined based on specific mineral processing tests. In some tests and actual production, the dosage of sodium metabisulfite may vary from a few grams to tens of grams or even more per ton of ore24. For example, for some ores with high sphalerite and pyrite content, a relatively high dosage of sodium metabisulfite may be required to achieve a better inhibition effect; and for ores with more complex composition, it is also necessary to comprehensively consider the synergistic effect with other agents to determine the dosage of sodium metabisulfite.

In short, when using sodium metabisulfite in mine dressing, sufficient testing and debugging must be carried out to determine the most suitable method and dosage, so as to improve the dressing efficiency and ore grade.