Tungsten Scheelite Collector - Oxidized Paraffin Soap

Oxidized paraffin soap uses petroleum as raw material, obtained by oxidation and saponification treatment. Its appearance is brown red or yellow powder, soluble in water.

Oxidized paraffin soap is mainly used for tungsten scheelite collector. Due to its fine collecting property, foam property, solubility, non-toxicity and cheap price, so oxidized paraffin soap is welcomed in tungsten scheelite flotation process. It is called 731 oxidized paraffin soap or 731 flotation agent.

The reason why oxidized paraffin soap is so widely applied in tungsten scheelite flotation is due to an upgrade of process of Dangping Tungsten Mine at the end of 1970s. When pH value of mineral slurry is 9, use sodium silicate as inhibitor, oxidized paraffin soap as collector, rougher separate coarse concentrate slurry with WO3 content 15~20%. Then stirring for 40 minutes under room temperature, repeat for 5 times, finally obtain tungsten scheelite with WO3 content 65%. This creative room temperature flotation method improves many deficits of heating flotation method, thus simplify process and save cost. It was then widely applied across the nation. 731 oxidized paraffin soap is used as collector and foam agent, so this method is also called 731 room temperature flotation method.

However, in early times, petroleum used in 731 is third degree oil from the seventh oil factory, after one time squeeze, oxidized paraffin soap is obtained, that’s why it is also called 731. Without purifying, there are intermediate material generated in the oxidation process such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones. So it has low efficiency. In 1980s, 731 is upgraded into 733. It has higher purity and less impurities. It is more stable during flotation process, less amount is needed. Also there is no evolution of wax when it is processed into solution. So 733 oxidized paraffin soap is still the most important scheelite collector.

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