Study on the Activation of Scheelite and Wolframite by Lead Nitrate

The activation of scheelite and wolframite by lead nitrate with benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) as collector was investigated by means of micro flotation test, zeta potential measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The flotation results confirmed that the addition of lead nitrate can markedly enhance the recovery of scheelite and wolframite. In the zeta potential curves obvious positive shifts were observed with the presence of lead nitrate. Lead was detected on mineral surface in microscopic analysis and the survey XP spectra. Both the electrokinetic study and XPS analyses indicated that lead ion can be adsorbed onto mineral surface. In DFT calculation, the coordination model of BHA with metal hydroxyl ions (Ca(OH)+, Mn(OH)+, Fe(OH)+ and Pb(OH)+) was simulated and their binding energy were also calculated. The calculated results revealed that the binding ability of BHA and Pb(OH)+ is the strongest, indicating that BHA can preferentially coordinate with Pb ion compared with Ca, Mn and Fe ions.