Kinetics of electrode potentials of sulfide mineral electrodes in the presence of flotation modifiers

The article describes the potentiometric studies carried out with mineral electrodes of non-oxidizable sulfides—stibnite, molybdenite and galena—in comparison with pyrite, aresnopyrite and chalcopyrite in the controllable oxidation–reduction environment. Molybdenite, stibnite and arsenopyrite possess the highest crystal lattice energy as against pyrite and chalcopyrite, which points at the redox resistance of the minerals and agrees with the resultant measurements of electrode potentials. Anisotropy of electrode potentials of non-oxidizable sulfides is determined in different areas of crystal chemistry. In distilled water, stibnite {010} and molybdenite {0001} have the electrode potentials of +177.76 mV and +149.5 mV, respectively, while stibnite {101} and molybdenite {1010} have the electrode potentials of -898.27 mV and
-375.42 mV, respectively. In the pH range of 2–12, the electrode potentials of stibnite {010} and molybdenite {0001} remain positive up to pH 10 and become negative when pH >11, and the electrode potentials of stibnite {101} and molybdenite {1010} remain negative within the whole test range of pH. The negative electrode potential of galena shifts to the oxidation area at pH 2–7 and then displaces in the reduction area at pH 8–12. As against the non-oxidizable sulfides, the electrode potentials of pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite shift to the negative area when pH> 8. The change  in the electrode potentials of the mineral electrodes is determined in case of addition of flotation modifiers in distilled water (pHinit. 5.5). The rate of change in the electrode potential of sulfides depends on the alkalinity of the environment.

Kayumov А. А., Ignatkina V. А., Ergesheva N. D. Kinetics of electrode potentials of sulfide mineral electrodes in the presence of flotation modifiers. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2023;(10):89-103. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2023_10_0_89.

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 22-27-00102.

А.А. Kayumov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Leading Engineer, e-mail: maliaby_92@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0502-6595,
V.А. Ignatkina¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, e-mail: woda@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2552-206X, 
N.D. Ergesheva¹, Student, e-mail: nazymarzu.zharolla@mail.ru,
¹ National University of Science and Technology «MISiS», 119049, Moscow, Russia.

А.А. Kayumov, e-mail: maliaby_92@mail.ru.

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