Precipitate Flotation Studies with Monolauryl Phosphate and Monolauryldithiocarbamate

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Abstract
Monolauryl phosphate has been employed for the removal of copper(II), manganese(II), and zinc(II) by foam flotation at various pH's and ionic strengths. Good removals of all three metal ions were obtained in the basic pH range and in the presence of up to 0.2 M sulfate. Coprecipitation of Zn(II) with ferric hydroxide was essential to attain good removal of Zn(II). The removal of Cu(II) was also good from solutions containing oxalate, silicate, phosphate, and metaphosphate; however, the presence of EDTA hinders the removal of Cu(II). The potential of lauryldithiocarbamate as a chelating surfactant for the removal of Cu(II) was explored at various pH's and in the presence of various anions. We conclude that lauryldithiocarbamate is a weak chelating agent, unable to compete efficiently for Cu(II) with anions such as CO3 2−, HPO4 2−, SiO3 2−, and EDTA. The relatively rapid decomposition of lauryldithiocarbamate in solution coupled with its weakness as a chelating surfactant make it unsuitable for the removal of Cu(II) by foam flotation.