Galvanic interaction between different grinding media and galena (100) surface and its influence on galena flotation behavior:A DFT study

Abstract Galena has different electrostatic potentials from grinding medium. Collision and friction occur between them in the grinding process, which lead to electron transfer and charge redistribution on galena surface, affecting surface oxidation and galena recovery. In this paper, the galvanic interaction between galena and eight different grinding media including low carbon steel (carbon content 0.1 wt.%), medium carbon steel (carbon content 0.3 wt.%), high carbon steel (carbon content 0.9 wt.%), and grinding medium containing 0.1 wt.% Ce, 0.1 wt.% La, 0.1 wt.% Y, 4.6 wt.% Cr, or 1.5 wt.% Mn has been studied using DFT method. The effects of those galvanic interactions on the surface structure, surface activity and adsorption of oxygen and xanthate molecules on galena surface have been investigated. The results show that the adsorption of oxygen and xanthate molecules on the surface of galena is the strongest with medium carbon steel (carbon content is 0.3 wt.%), followed by low carbon steel and high carbon steel. In addition, compared with the grinding media containing chromium, cerium, yttrium and manganese, the grinding medium containing lanthanum (lanthanum content is 0.1 wt.%) is more conducive to the adsorption of oxygen and xanthate molecules on the surface of galena