Question:
What is the role of depressant in froth floatation process?
Answer:
In froth floatation process,depressants helps to separate two sulphide ores by selective prevention of froth formation by one ore and allowing the other to come into froth.
For example, in order to separate two sulphide ores (ZnS and Pbs), NaCN is used as a depressant. It selectively allows PbS form froth, but prevents ZnS from coming to froth. This happens due to the fact that NaCN reacts with ZnS to form Na2[Zn(CN)4].
4 NaCN + ZnS → Na2[Zn(CN)4] + Na2S
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