Abstract:The effects of iron medium grinding on the surface properties of typical minerals in copper-nickel sulfide ore and their recovery in amyl xanthoxanthate flotation system were investigated by flotation tests, solution chemistry calculation and XPS determination. Flotation tests indicate that compared with zirconium medium grinding, the floatability of the three sulfide minerals is obviously reduced after iron medium grinding, which is detrimental to the flotation of sulfide minerals,while the floatability of gangue mineral serpentine is slightly affected by the grinding medium, and the flotation recovery of serpentine is basically unchanged after grinding with different media. Solution chemistry calculation and XPS analysis confirmed that the adsorption of hydrophilic FeOOH on the mineral surface is the main reason for the deperession of flotation of sulfide ore.