Flotation Depressants

The FloatMax and CleanMax product lines were developed to prevent ionic interactions between undesirable geologies, therefore allowing target minerals such as gold and copper to be more efficiently recovered. This can improve overall concentrate grade and alleviate circuit capacity constraints where mass recovery limitations exist in rougher circuits.

Increased recovery,
less hassle

The presence of problematic gangue minerals decreases the efficiency of froth flotation separation processes used to recover precious and base metals during ore benefaction.

The FloatMax line was specifically functionalized to assist with swelling clays, problematic friable geologies, low pH environments, and standard operations. The FloatMax biopolymer has an interlayer of exchangeable cations that primarily interact with calcium, magnesium, and sodium, therefore allowing for encapsulation of gangue and a more efficient release of metals into froth. FloatMax’s electronic charge is repulsed by the cationic Cu or Au in the sulfide minerals and prefers the negative charge and higher surface area of the non-sulfide gangue. By managing unwanted gangue, FloatMax reduces recovery of gangue minerals to the concentrate, enhances other flotation additives by eliminating unintended interactions with non-sulfide gangue, and alleviates circuit capacity constraints by reducing rougher mass recovery.

Whereas rougher circuits are intended to reject undesirable minerals and collect the bulk of the metal ore, cleaner circuits are intended to fine-tune the collected ore and produce a high-grade concentrate. While certain geologies make separating gangue from mineral difficult and result in minimizing the achievable grade, CleanMax does not have geology limitations. IMI’s proprietary biopolymer is engineered to target fine and colloidal particles created by overgrinding during the primary grind step and through the regrinding of rougher concentrates.

Other Technologies