News - The Role and Working Principle of Sodium Hydrosulphide in Mineral Processing
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Sodium Hydrosulphide (NaHS) is primarily used as a sulfidizing agent and inhibitor in mineral processing. Its core working principle involves altering the surface properties of minerals through chemical reactions, thereby enabling the selective flotation or inhibition of target minerals. Sodium Hydrosulphide is widely applied in the flotation and separation processes of sulfide minerals such as copper, lead, zinc, and nickel, as well as some oxide minerals.
Brief Description of the Working Principle of Sodium Hydrosulphide:
1.Sodium Hydrosulphide easily dissociates into HS⁻ and S²⁻ ions in water. These ions can undergo surface chemical reactions with metal cations on the mineral surface, such as Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺.
2.When used for the sulfidation of oxide minerals, HS⁻/S²⁻ ions replace the OH⁻ or CO₃²⁻ ions on the mineral surface, forming a thin film of metal sulfides (e.g., MeS).
3.In terms of inhibition, excess HS⁻/S²⁻ ions can form a hydrophilic colloidal sulfide layer or adsorption layer on the surface of target minerals, masking their hydrophobic regions.
In summary, by providing active sulfide ions, sodium Hydrosulphide precisely regulates the balance between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity on the mineral surface. It is one of the key adjusting agents for the efficient separation of complex ores, and it is particularly essential in the flotation of oxide minerals and the separation of multiple metals. In mineral processing, sodium Hydrosulphide functions primarily as an inhibitor for sulfide minerals. It inhibits non-target minerals by modifying their surface to make them more hydrophilic. Additionally, it can act as an activator for difficult-to-flotate oxide minerals and a regulator of the pulp pH. Sodium Hydrosulphide is a crucial reagent for the separation of complex polymetallic ores. Its working process involves “pulp preparation, reagent modification, and flotation separation,” with the core objective being to control the hydrophobicity of the mineral surface through HS⁻/S²⁻ ions, thereby achieving selective separation of target minerals from impurities. In practical applications, it is essential to strictly control parameters such as pH value and reagent dosage to ensure both effective separation and safety and environmental considerations.


Post time: Dec-29-2025