The Effect of Novel Submicronic Solid Activators on Sphalerite Flotability

Abstract

In this study, we examine the effect of novel submicronic activators made from copper minerals and copper-rich concentrate on sphalerite flotability. The copper minerals and copper concentrate are ground in a vibratory micromill and ultrasonically treated to obtain submicronic sphalerite activators. Histograms show that the concentration of copper particles in the activator after treatment is 92%–94%, with particle sizes of 105–115 nm. The results concerning monomineral flotation showed that sphalerite flotation is possible with the use of submicronic copper particles as an activator. At the same time, the consumption of mineral copper is much lower (by 10 times) than that of copper sulfate. The best results are achieved when submicronic particles of covellite and bornite (with a 60% concentration of particles 300–500 nm in size) were used. Sphalerite recovery amounted to 80%, which is higher than the recovery obtained with the use of copper sulfate by 2% but is 2% lower compared to the use of copper oxyhydroxide. The flotation effect of the submicronic activators on sphalerite was tested in laboratory conditions using polymetallic ore from one of Kazakhstan’s deposits. It is shown that the novel submicron activators based on bornite and copper concentrate exhibit much lower consumption rates and can replace the more expensive copper sulfate at the same Zn content (54.8%–54.9%), obtaining recovery rates of 95.69%–96.57%.

1. Introduction

Flotation remains the most effective technological process for the separation of thinly disseminated ores. Factors that significantly complicate the achievement of high technological performance during flotation include uneven mineral dissemination; the thin intergrowth of ore minerals between themselves and rock minerals; the unfavorable ratio of separated minerals, manifested as a significant mass fraction of pyrite in cuprous ores; the uneven mass fraction ratio of copper minerals and sphalerite; and the often significantly greater mass fraction of zinc over copper or lead sulfides [1,2,3,4]. The flotation beneficiation of copper–zinc ores poses certain challenges in obtaining high-quality finished products. The problem lies in the proximity of the flotation properties of copper, zinc, and iron sulfides, along with the complexity of their material compositions and characteristics of dissemination. The use of directed action reagents is one solution to this problem, as they allow the extraction of valuable ore minerals, optimize the flotation process, and exhibit higher technological performance.

Analysis of the current state of flotation reagents used in ore beneficiation available on the market has shown that modifiers are dominant in the aggregated structure of purchased flotation reagents (e.g., depressants, regulators, and activators), with a total share of more than 70%; about 25% of the market is made up of collectors and frothers account for the rest. Moreover, 42% of the main volume of flotation agents is used in the beneficiation of copper–nickel ores. Over 25% of flotation reagents are used in the processing of non-metallic mining and chemical raw materials. Copper and copper–zinc ores account for about 20% of reagents used. For example, the volume of xanthate consumption in Russia is estimated at about 14 thousand tons, for which the share of imports (exclusively from China) is over 4% and the share of exports is about 30%. The largest Russian producer of xanthates and dithiocarbamate is Volzhsky Orgsintez (URL: http://www.zos-v.ru, accessed on 10 January 2024); for dithiophosphates, it is “Kvadrat Plus” (URL: http://www.kvadratplus.ru, accessed on 10 January 2024) and Flotent Chemicals (URL: http://www.флотент.рф/, accessed on 10 January 2024). A wide range of collectors and modifiers are produced by Cytec (Woodland Park, NJ, USA) and Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland) as well [5].

The selection of selective collectors has received increasing attention within the last 10–15 years [6,7,8,9].

Theoretically substantiated and experimentally confirmed dependences between the concentrations of various reagents in the pulp under conditions of collective flotation, and flotation depression of sulfide minerals, as well as complete prevention of sorption of the collector on their surfaces are required to improve, optimize, and automate the processes for the selective flotation of ores [10].

In the flotation beneficiation of copper–zinc ores, certain difficulties in obtaining high-quality finished products exist. The problem lies in the similarity of the flotation properties of copper, zinc, and iron sulfides, along with the complexity of their material compositions and characteristics of dissemination. The authors of [11] studied the possibility of increasing the selectivity of the flotation separation of copper and zinc sulfides by using a collector’s blend—sodium dialkyldithiophosphate and butyl xanthate.

The choice of selective reagents is mainly affected by the selectivity of their action with a particular metal ion on the mineral surface being determined by the characteristic atomic grouping of the reagent [12].

The use of a new reagent—a pyrazolone derivative—in combination with potassium butyl xanthate in the process of the flotation beneficiation of copper–zinc sulfide ores enables an increased recovery and content of copper and zinc in the concentrates of both copper and zinc flotations [13].

Copper (II) sulfate solutions are usually used to activate the flotation of sphalerite and a number of other sulfide minerals. Their mechanism of action remains a subject of discussion. Several authors have found that the activation rate obtained using sol–gel CuS is higher than those using CuSO₄ solutions [14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22].

Sulfoxide compounds activate the flotation of copper sulfides in the presence of zinc sulfate, and depress zinc and iron sulfides. The combined use of sodium sulfite and zinc sulfate to depress zinc minerals and pyrite is effective when zinc sulfides are activated by lead compounds and copper ions. The use of sulfoxide reagents can sometimes significantly increase copper recovery and reduce copper losses in the zinc cycle. However, it does not always yield positive results. Quite high losses of zinc are often observed when using both copper and lead concentrate [23].

Studying the mechanism by which sulfide is activated by heavy metal salts is of great importance in order to identify forms of flotation reagents capable of imparting a flotable state to the mineral. Sphalerite is poorly flotated by short-chain collectors (e.g., xanthates and dithiophosphates). It is assumed that the reason behind this is the formation of insufficiently strong zinc–xanthate bonds. It is therefore required to use reagents capable of strengthening the interaction between mineral and collector during sphalerite flotation. Salts of various heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, iron, mercury, and silver) can act as activators in this regard [24].

The authors of [25,26] noted the possibility of flotating sulfide minerals using heavy metal salts, where the mechanism of sphalerite’s activation by copper sulfate is explained by the substitution of a zinc atom on the sphalerite surface with a copper atom. The resulting copper xanthate compound has a lower solubility compared to zinc xanthate, due to which it is more firmly fixed on the mineral’s surface.

An extensive list of metals that have been studied in terms of their activation behavior is presented in [27]. The authors could not unequivocally answer the question of whether the solubility of the metal sulfide activator influences the activation process based on contact angle measurements and direct flotation tests.

It was hypothesized in [28,29] that activators behave as surface-doping impurities. The inclusion of activators in the sphalerite lattice creates acceptor-like surface states, resulting in a decrease in the electron/hole ratio on the surface. The authors present a calculation of external surface states arising from metal impurities of the substitution surface on sphalerite [28,29].

Comparative flotation experiments were performed to assess the possibility of improving the flotation performance, e.g., improving its activation by using a colloidal system. The flotation of lead–zinc ore from the Gorevskoye deposit was performed with sodium butyl xanthate (scavenger flotation, SBX—100 g/t) and a colloidal system formed at nonstoichiometric ratios of heavy metal salts (nickel and zinc sulfates) and sodium butyl xanthate (1:3 and 1:10). The results of the flotation experiments indicated that the addition of freshly prepared colloidal systems to the pulp affects the recovery rates [30].

In production practices, copper sulfate is used as an activator of sphalerite to facilitate its selective separation from other minerals. However, the use of this reagent has a number of disadvantages, in particular, its high consumption of up to 1000 g/t due to the occurrence of by-processes in the pulp (precipitation in the form of copper xanthate, sorption of copper ions by thin slurries, etc.). In addition, copper ions, firmly fixed in the crystal lattice on the surface of zinc minerals, are difficult to remove from the surface of sphalerite using mechanical actions and reagents (e.g., sharp steam, sodium sulfide solution).

In [31,32], it was shown that the use of ultramicron copper oxyhydroxide as an activator of sphalerite substantially improved the flotation of this mineral in comparison with a copper sulfate solution. The activity of copper oxyhydroxide is explained by the electrostatic attraction of positively charged particles to the negatively charged mineral—sphalerite—accompanied by the formation of nanosized adsorption layers and the fixation of nanosized activators on the sphalerite’s surface in the kinetic regime. This process is analogous to the process of isothermal sublimation (evaporation) of small droplets and vapor condensation on larger droplets, explained by capillary phenomena. For solids, “vaporization” refers to the dissolution (e.g., surface molecules) of small particles. As the particle size decreases, the proportion of such surface molecules increases.

As a result, small particles with “dissolved” molecules at the surface diffuse to macroparticles (large ones), which have a structure isomorphic with small particles. A kind of “absorption” (coagulation) of small particles by larger ones occurs. This effect is enhanced in a moving medium when the medium flows around a large particle but the radius of the trapping cross-section of the small particles is large, favoring their collision and attachment with the large particle.

Ultramicron copper oxyhydroxide has a number of advantages over classical activators: it has lower consumption rates, it is more selective due to the absence of side effects, and it is easily removed from the sphalerite’s surface. The use of more active copper oxyhydroxide in zinc flotation increases the zinc content in the zinc concentrate from 10 to 18%, while the consumption of the reagent, compared to copper sulfate, is reduced by four times [31]. However, obtaining ultramicron copper oxyhydroxide via chemical condensation is an expensive process. It is also known from the literature that copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)₂) is an unstable compound. Depending on the method in which it is obtained, it is affected by temperature and storage time; for example, it dehydrates at room temperature, coagulating and turning into copper oxide [33]. In connection with this, obtaining submicronic sphalerite activators from natural copper minerals or copper-rich concentrates is feasible and expedient, allowing the cost of the technology for obtaining activators to be significantly reduced and simplifying the flotation process as a whole.

The aim of this work is to study the effect of novel submicronic activators on the flotability of sphalerite. The main activator of sphalerite used in the production process at present is copper sulfate. However, the use of this reagent has a number of disadvantages, in particular, its high consumption rate. This work considers the conditions for obtaining and the application of novel sphalerite activators based on copper minerals and copper concentrate. Specifically, optimal time and particle size during dispersion, the consumption of activators, and the pH of the medium during flotation are the factors considered. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that the novel submicron activators contribute to the activation of the zinc mineral surface without interacting with other minerals or flotation agents, which will favorably affect the quality of the recycled water and the ecology of the industrial zone.

2. Materials and Methods

The following research methods were used in this work: IR spectroscopy, ultrasonic processing (ultrasonic disperser UZDN-M1200T, Kiev, Ukraine), particle size determination (Photocor Compact particle size analyzer, Moscow, Russia), electron probe micro-analysis (JXA-8230 by JEOL, Tokyo, Japan), X-ray diffraction (D8 ADVANCE, Bruker, Billerica, Massachusetts, USA), optical polarization microscopy (LEICA DM2500 P, Wetzlar, Germany), chemical analysis, X-ray fluorescence (Axios spectrometer, Malvern Panalytical Ltd., United Kingdom), and atomic absorption (AA-7000 spectrometer, Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan).

To obtain activators, samples of minerals were abraded on a vibrating “pulverisette O”micromill (from “FRITISCH” (Idar-Oberstein, Germany)) in aqueous medium for 1, 2, and 3 h and then dispersed via ultrasound on a “UZDN-A1200T” from NPP “Ukrrospribor” (Kiev, Ukraine) at different dispersion times (1 min, 3 min, and 5 min). Dispersion via ultrasound was carried out to prevent the aggregation of finely ground mineral particles.

Ore was pre-crushed on DMD160/100 laboratory jaw crusher and DVG 200 × 125 roller crusher to a size of −2.5 + 0 mm, before being milled in a 40ML-000PS laboratory ball mill to 87% cl., 74 μm. Flotation experiments were carried out on a laboratory flotation machine (FML) with chamber volumes of 3.0, 0.5, and 0.25 L. The weight of the ore for the experiment was 1000 g. After grinding was carried out, copper–lead concentrate was selectively separated. A zinc cycle was carried out on the chamber product of the copper–lead flotation using the novel activators. The zinc flotation cycle included a rougher flotation, a scavenger flotation, and two cleaner flotations of zinc concentrate.

Zinc-containing pulp in the chamber of the flotation machine was mixed with an activator for 3 min, followed by mixing with collector for 1.0 min and frother for 0.5 min without aeration at a rotor speed of 1200 rpm. Afterward, air was fed at a flow rate of 3.1 m³/min. Zinc flotation was then carried out. Flotation experiments were run three times.

For chemical analysis of the beneficiation products, an average (representative) sample was taken. The selected sample was pulverized on a vibrating “PulverizerO”micromill from FRITISCH (Idar-Oberstein, Germany).

For mineralogical analysis, polished artificial anschlifts (briquettes) were prepared and then studied using a LEICA DM2500 P optical polarizing microscope.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Preparation and Analysis of Submicron Solid Activators Based on Copper Sulfide Minerals

The grinding conditions and degree of dispersion of the novel submicronic activators derived from various copper minerals—chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂), chalcocite (Cu₂S), bornite (Cu₅FeS₄), and covellite (CuS)—were selected.

The results of the energy-dispersive spectrometric analysis of the copper minerals at different grinding times in a vibrating micromill (1–3 h) and at 1000× magnification showed that the particle size distribution has several peaks, from 0.04 μm (40 nm) to 0.5 μm (500 nm). The results of the particle distribution histograms for ground chalcopyrite and chalcosine show that the percentage of mineral particles 40–300 nm in size is 46.1% after grinding for 1 h, 51.4% after 2 h of grinding, and 57.3% after 3 h. The percentage of particles 40–300 nm in size is 49.4% in the case of bornite and covellite after grinding for 1 h, 54.2% after 2 h of grinding, and 56.6% after 3 h.

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the particle distribution histograms of initial and ground chalcopyrite.

Figure 3 shows images of initial and ground chalcopyrite samples taken using the JXA-8230 electron probe microanalyzer made by JEOL.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show particle distribution histograms of the initial and ground bornite samples.

Figure 6 shows images of initial and ground bornite samples taken on a JXA-8230 electron probe microanalyzer made by JEOL.

Figure 7 shows the histograms of the particle distribution of ground chalcopyrite (a) and bornite (b), made using the Photocor Compact particle size analyzer. From the figure, it can be seen that, after grinding for 2 h and after dispersion for 3 min, the percentage of bornite and chalcopyrite particles with a size of 300–500 nm is about 60%. In the initial bornite sample, the percentage of particles 40–50 microns in size was 60%–65%. In the initial chalcopyrite sample, the percentage of particles 35–50 microns in size was about 80%.

3.2. Flotability of Monomineral Sphalerite

Monomineral sphalerite’s flotability was studied using submicronic particles of copper minerals as an activator in media with different pH levels and under different flow rates in comparison with copper sulfate and copper oxyhydroxide. The studies were performed at medium pH levels from 6 to 12. In this case, the flow rate of the ultramicron copper particles was 20 mg/dm³, the flow rate of copper oxyhydroxide was 10 mg/dm³, and that of copper sulfate was 200 mg/dm³. It is shown that the optimal pH of the medium for all activators is pH = 8–10. The study results have shown that sphalerite flotation is possible with the use of submicronic particles of copper minerals as an activator. At the same time, their consumption rate is much lower(10 times) than that of copper sulfate. The best results were achieved in the case when submicronic covellite and bornite particles (content of particles of size +40–300 nm being 56.6%) were used. Thus, the sphalerite recovery amounted to 80%, which is higher than the recovery achieved with the use of copper sulfate by 2% but is 2% lower than the recovery obtained with copper oxyhydroxide.

It was shown in our earlier works that the use of ultramicron copper oxyhydroxide (Figure 8) as an activator of sphalerite substantially improves the flotation of this mineral compared to a copper sulfate solution [31,33]. Copper oxyhydroxide has several advantages over the classical activator, namely its higher selectivity and lower consumption rate (up to 200 g/t).

However, obtaining ultramicron copper oxyhydroxide via chemical condensation is an expensive process. Therefore, it is economically advantageous to develop a zinc activator from natural copper minerals. The optimal consumption rate of copper minerals in monomineral flotation was found to be 20 mg/dm³, which is 10 times lower than copper sulfate.

Copper sulfate (CuSO₄·5H₂O) is one of the most widely used activators in the flotation of sphalerite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite. The rate of interaction of a mineral with copper sulfate depends on the pH of the pulp. In acidic and neutral environments, the concentration of divalent copper ions will be higher than in alkaline environments, so a greater activation time is required in alkaline slurries. The contact time of the slurry with copper sulfate is usually 5–10 min and the consumption rate of copper sulfate is 0.2–0.8 kg/t.

However, the use of this reagent has a number of disadvantages, in particular, its high rate of consumption due to the occurrence of side processes in the pulp (precipitation in the form of sodium copper xanthate, the sorption of copper ions by thin slurries, etc.).

3.3. Preparation and Analysis of Submicronic Solid Activators Based on Copper Concentrate

The proposed submicronic activators obtained from natural copper minerals or copper-rich concentrates have a strong activating effect because they enhance the natural hydrophobicity of sphalerite’s surface via the super-equivalent adsorption of copper sulfur compounds on the surface of the zinc mineral.

Works aiming to obtain submicronic sphalerite activators from copper-rich concentrates were performed for the purpose of achieving practical applications of natural zinc activators. The content of copper in copper concentrate was 38%–40% and it was 9.0%–9.5% for iron. According to the results of the X-ray phase analysis using the D8 ADVANCE X-ray diffractometer (Bruker, Billerica, Massachusetts, USA), the composition of copper concentrate, in addition to chalcopyrite, includes secondary copper minerals such as bornite, chalcosine, and covellite (

Table 1. X-ray phase analysis of copper concentrate.

Minerals	Content, %	Distribution, %
Sulfate form	0.1	0.298
Oxidized form	0.65	1.937
Chalcosine, covellite, bornite	13.8	41.133
Chalcopyrite	19	56.632
Total copper	33.5	100.0

).

According to the results of mineralogical analysis using the LEICA DM2500 P optical polarizing microscope (Wetzlar, Germany), the following copper minerals were found in the studied sample of copper concentrate: chalcopyrite, bornite, and chalcosine. They are mainly found in the form of free grains without aggregates, but rare grains of bornite in aggregation with chalcosine were observed (Figure 9).

Chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂) has an exceptionally characteristic brassy yellow color that makes it easily distinguishable from all other ore minerals. It has high reflectivity and barely noticeable anisotropy. It contains no internal reflectivity.

Bornite (Cu₅FeS₄) has a pinkish-brown color but it is quickly covered with a purple, sometimes bluish, film of whiteness in the air. It is isotropic and has medium reflectivity and medium hardness.

Chalcosine (Cu₂S) is light gray with a bluish tint and is an isotropic mineral. It also has imperfect cleavage.

Figure 10 shows the electron probe microanalysis of the copper concentrate sample.

Copper concentrate as a zinc activator before flotation was ground in a “pulverisette O” vibrating micromill, then subjected to ultrasonic treatment using a UZDN-M1200T ultrasonic disperser (NPP “Ukrrospribor”, Kiev, Ukraine).

3.4. Effect of Submicron Sphalerite Activators on Flotation of Polymetallic Ore

The flotation effect of the novel submicronic sphalerite activators based on copper minerals and copper concentrate was tested on polymetallic ore from a deposit in Kazakhstan containing 0.3% copper, 0.42% lead, and 3.5% zinc. The work flow and reagent mode of the flotation process are presented in Figure 11.

The technological flotation parameters to obtain zinc concentrate using submicronic activators based on bornite and copper concentrate were determined for the chamber product of mixed copper–lead flotation. The results were compared with the traditional copper sulfate activator. The results of the open-cycle flotation are summarized in

Table 2. Results of zinc cycle flotation of polymetallic ore using different sphalerite activators.

Name of Products	Yield, %	Content, %		Recovery, %		Note
		Zn	Fe	Zn	Fe
Zn concentrate	4.9	56.0	1.44	94.2	2.1	Main copper sulfate technology—1000 g/t
Middling 1	8.21	0.036	6.9	0.1	16.7
Middling 2	2.03	3.1	6.55	2.2	3.9
Scavenger concentrate	2.2	0.54	26.7	0.4	17.4
Tailings	82.66	0.11	2.45	3.1	59.9
Feed	100	2.913	3.38	100	100
Zn concentrate	5.2	56.9	2.7	95.55	3.35	Submicronic activator—bornite 100 g/t, 93.8% concentration of particles 113.6–115.4 nm
Middling 1	4.1	0.4	7.3	0.53	7.15
Middling 2	2	1.5	5.1	0.97	2.44
Scavenger concentrate	1.8	0.25	4.5	0.15	1.94
Tailings	86.9	0.1	4.1	2.81	85.12
Feed	100	3.10	4.19	100	100
Zn concentrate	6.5	56.5	2.3	94.8	3.3	Submicronic activator (copper concentrate)—500 g/t 50%–55% concentration of particles 250 nm in size
Middling 1	0.6	10.4	4.2	1.6	0.6
Middling 2	1.5	3.6	5.9	1.4	1.9
Scavenger concentrate	0.9	1.9	6.8	0.4	1.3
Tailings	90.5	0.07	4.7	1.6	92.8
Feed	100	3.87	4.58	100	100

.

The results show that using the traditional sphalerite activator copper sulfate, a zinc concentrate containing 56% zinc at a 94.2% recovery, is obtained from the open-cycle flotation. Copper sulfate’s consumption rate was 1000 g/t. Using the copper mineral bornite with 93.8% 113.6–115.4 nm particles as a sphalerite activator, a zinc concentrate containing 56.9% zinc with a recovery of 95.5% was obtained. Thus, the consumption of bornite is shown to be 10 times lower than that of copper sulfate. However, it is impossible to obtain a pure mineral activator under real production conditions.

Zinc concentrate containing 56.5% zinc with a recovery of 94.8% was obtained by using a submicronic sphalerite activator based on copper concentrate in zinc flotation (at a consumption rate two times lower than copper sulfate). The particle distribution histogram made using the Photocor Compact particle size analyzer showed that the smallest particle size in the activator based on copper concentrate was 250 nm, with particles of this size accounting for 50%–55% of the activator.

Further flotation processes applying the novel submicronic sphalerite activators based on copper minerals and copper concentrate were performed on polymetallic ore in a closed cycle. The results are presented in

Table 3. Results of zinc flotation cycle on polymetallic ore using different sphalerite activators in a closed cycle.

Name of Products	Yield %	Content, %		Extraction, %		Note
		Zn	Fe	Zn	Fe
Zn concentrate	5	54.9	1.5	95.69	2.41	Main method using copper sulfate—1000 g/t
Tailings	95	0.13	3.2	4.31	97.59
Feed	100	2.87	3.12	100	100
Zn concentrate	5.1	55.2	1.8	96.42	2.69	Submicronic activator—bornite, 100 g/t, 93.8% of particles 113.6–115.4 nm in size
Tailings	94.9	0.11	3.5	3.576	97.31
Feed	100	2.92	3.41	100	100
Zn concentrate	5.8	54.8	2.8	96.57	4.04	Submicronic activator—copper concentrate, 500 g/t, 50%–55% of particles 250 nm in size
Tailings	94.2	0.12	4.1	3.43	95.96
Feed	100	3.29	4.02	100	100

.

A zinc concentrate containing 54.9% zinc with a recovery rate of 95.69% was obtained in a closed cycle with the use of copper sulfate. A zinc concentrate containing 55.2% zinc with a recovery rate of 96.42% was obtained using bornite with 93.8% 113.6–115.4 nm particles as the sphalerite activator. Finally, a zinc concentrate containing 54.8% zinc with a recovery rate of 96.57% was obtained using a submicronic sphalerite activator based on copper concentrate in zinc flotation.

4. Conclusions

Thus, the effect of the novel submicronic sphalerite activators on its flotability in comparison with the traditional activator copper sulfate was studied. The use of copper sulfate has a number of disadvantages, in particular, its high consumption rate due to the occurrence of side processes in the pulp (precipitation in the form of copper xanthate, the sorption of copper ions via thin sludge, etc.). In addition, the use of copper sulfate leads to an increased content of sulfate ions in the resulting waste water, complicating its treatment. The research results showed that the novel submicron activators promote the activation of zinc minerals’ surfaces without interacting with other minerals and flotation agents, which will favorably affect the quality of the recycled water and the ecology of the industrial zone.

Submicronic activators were obtained based on natural copper minerals and copper-rich concentrates. The flotation effect of the developed submicronic activators on sphalerite was tested in laboratory conditions for polymetallic ore from a deposit in Kazakhstan. It was shown that the new submicronic activators based on bornite (with an 8–10 times lower consumption rate than copper sulfate) and copper concentrate (2 times lower consumption rate) can replace expensive copper sulfate without worsening the technological indicators of zinc concentrate production (content of zinc in the concentrate and its recovery rate). From an environmental standpoint, the advantage of these submicron activators is the absence of sulfate ions, which pollute wastewater. However, obtaining solid submicron activators is an energy-consuming process. Thus, in further research, various methods of obtaining novel activators will need to be refined, with a focus on selecting the least energy-consuming methods among them.