Tungsten is a crucial rare metal with extensive application in modern industries and scheelite is the major resource for tungsten production. In this work, xanthan gum (XG), a non-toxic, environmentally friendly polysaccharide, was explored as a depressant of apatite during the scheelite flotation. The results of single mineral flotation and artificial mixed minerals flotation showed that XG exhibited efficient selective depressive effect on apatite rather than on scheelite. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that the chelation action between the –COO– groups and the Ca on apatite surface was responsible for XG chelating adsorption. The firm XG chemisorption on apatite surface hindered subsequent sodium oleate (NaOl) chemisorption. Due to fewer available surface Ca sites and intenser anions group electronegativity on scheelite, the XG adsorption on scheelite surface was weak and it exhibited little effect on following NaOl chemisorption. As a result, the flotation separation of scheelite from apatite was achieved using XG as depressant and NaOl as collector.

钨是一种重要的稀有金属，在现代工业中有广泛的应用，白钨矿是生产钨的主要资源。在这项工作中，黄原胶 (XG) 是一种无毒、环保的多糖，在白钨矿浮选过程中被用作磷灰石的抑制剂。单一矿物浮选和人工混合矿物浮选结果表明，XG对磷灰石而非白钨矿表现出有效的选择性抑制作用。傅里叶变换红外 (FTIR) 光谱和 X 射线光电子能谱 (XPS) 分析表明，–COO– 基团与磷灰石表面上的 Ca 之间的螯合作用是 XG 螯合吸附的原因。磷灰石表面牢固的 XG 化学吸附阻碍了随后的油酸钠 (NaOl) 化学吸附。由于白钨矿表面可用的Ca位点较少，阴离子基团电负性较强，白钨矿表面的XG吸附较弱，对后续的NaOl化学吸附影响不大。结果，以XG为抑制剂，NaOl为捕收剂，实现了白钨矿与磷灰石的浮选分离。