Self‐induced floatability of sulphide minerals: Examination of recent evidence for elemental sulphur as the hydrophobic entity

Abstract

Abstract Recent evidence, based on spectrophotometric analysis of ethanol extracts, for elemental sulphur being present at the surface of sulphide minerals dry–ground in air has been re–examined. Analysis of ethanol and cyclohexane extracts of ground galena, and electron spectra of abraded galena surfaces, have revealed that while ethanol does extract or leach a sulphur species from galena, sulphur is not present in elemental from on a freshly ground mineral surface.