Author 1:

Name & Surname: Averbukh A. V.
Company: Uralmekhanobr JSC (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
Work Position: Chief Dresser
Contacts: e-mail: umbr@umbr.ru

Author 2:

Name & Surname: Orlov S. L.
Company: Uralmekhanobr JSC (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
Work Position: Head of a Department
Scientific Degree: Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Author 3:

Name & Surname: Stikhina M. I.
Company: Uralmekhanobr JSC (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
Work Position: Researcher

Complex ore beneficiation is one of the most complicated processes. Ores feature complex material constitution, diversity of mineral forms and fine dissemination of metallic minerals some of which can readily oxidize. At present time, ore beneficiation more often uses cyanide-free technologies, for instance, zinc sulphate with sulfoxide compounds. Sometimes cyanide substitution improves selectivity, reduces noble metal loss in liquid phase of flotation pulp and improves sanitary state of effluent. Nevertheless, the result is not always that good, quite high a loss of both copper and lead may occur in concentration. This article describes investigation of a new depressing agent for zinc minerals—polymethylene naphthalenesulfonate—to be used in complex ore flotation. The mechanism of influence exerted by polymethylene naphthalenesulfonate on flotation of sulfide minerals is studied. It is shown that at the new depressing agent consumption of 80 g/t, the loss of zinc in copper–lead concentrate is decreased by 13.5 %. The pilot studies and commercial tests demonstrated that the combination of polymethylene naphthalenesulfonate and the other depressors of zinc minerals, namely, sodium sulfite and zinc sulphate, reduces consumption of the depressing agents at the simultaneous increase of copper, lead and zinc recovery in the higher quality concentrates.