SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE AS COLLECTOR IN MIN ERALS FLOTATION .1. INFLUENCE OF SOME OPERATION VARIABLES

It has been studied the flotation of the minerals celestite and calcit e in a mechanical cell using sodium lauryl sulphate as collector. Pure minerals with a fineness size between 80 and 200 mesh A,S.T.M. have b een used, with the modification of bath pH value, collector concentrat ion, particle size and operation time. The results obtained show that sodium lauryl sulphate has more affinity towards celestite, as well as that a particle size reduction improves the flotation. Both minerales flotate very quickly and their flotation with this collector is not i nfluenced by bath pH value modification.