ToF-SIMS dataset of sulphide minerals treated with sodium isobutyl xanthate

Background: The chemical properties of the mineral/solution interface have a decisive influence on the flotation behavior of minerals. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition within the mineral/solution interface of sulfide minerals treated with xanthate by ToF-SIMS.Methods: Chalcopyrite, chalcopyrite-pyrite mixture, and chalcopyrite-galena mixture were reacted in 0.1 mM sodium isobutyl xanthate solution at natural pH, then centrifuged, fast-frozen, and characterized with a ToF-SIMS V spectrometer (ION-TOF GmbH, Münster, Germany) at –125 °C (Cryo-ToF-SIMS) in comparison with the samples thawed in vacuum and measured at room temperature (RT-ToF-SIMS).Conclusion: The study confirmed the volatility of dixanthogen under the high vacuum room temperature conditions, and found that dixanthogen was the predominant species of xanthate adsorption products on chalcopyrite and pyrite, while that of galena was lead isobutyl xanthate. In particular, due to the interaction effects between sulfide minerals, the formation of dixanthogen at the mineral/solution interface of chalcopyrite was promoted and inhibited by pyrite and galena, respectively.Note: Using the software Surface Lab software (ION-TOF GmbH, Münster, Germany) to open the data.