A buyer’s field guide to potassium ethylxanthate in 2025

If you work in sulfide flotation, you already know: collectors make or break recovery curves. I’ve toured plants from Shaanxi to Sudbury, and—honestly—few reagents invite as much debate as potassium ethylxanthate. It’s versatile, punchy at moderate dosages, and relatively forgiving. Many customers say it’s their “baseline collector,” the one they benchmark against.

Short Description: Best potassium ethylxanthate. Best price. China FIZA Company. Contact us with any questions. Get a quote. Premium quality. That’s the pitch—now let’s unpack the tech behind the label, what real mines report, and how procurement teams compare vendors.

Where it fits in the circuit

Potassium ethylxanthate (often called PEX) is used primarily for flotation of copper, lead, and zinc sulfides; it also shows up in gold circuits as a base collector. In fact, operators lean on it for early-stage collection where selectivity matters. Typical plant feedback: stable froth, decent kinetics, and predictable behavior when pH and aeration are dialed in.

Product specs (typical)

Process flow and QA snapshot

Materials: ethanol, carbon disulfide, caustic potash, process water (low chloride preferred). Methods: xanthation under controlled temperature, neutralization, granulation/pelletizing, and anti-caking conditioning. QC: assay by iodometric titration, moisture by Karl Fischer (or IR), free alkali by titration. Testing standards: data reported under GHS/OSHA HazCom-compliant SDS, labs operating to ISO 17025 principles; QMS targets ISO 9001 and environmental controls aligned with ISO 14001.

Application scenarios and advantages

• Copper and copper-zinc ores: baseline collector with good kinetics at pH 8–10.
• Lead-zinc circuits: pairs well with dithiophosphates for selectivity control.
• Gold-associated sulfides: improves initial attachment; fine-tunes with frother tweaks.

In one plant trial (chalcopyrite ore, pH 9, 30–60 g/t dosage), potassium ethylxanthate boosted Cu recovery by ≈2.3–3.4% vs. a blended thiol baseline, with noticeably steadier froth. To be honest, results vary with water chemistry and grind, but the trend keeps showing up.

Vendor comparison (condensed)

Customization and service life

Most buyers ask for specific pellet sizes to optimize dissolution and feed stability. Moisture and anti-caking tweaks are also on the table. Shelf life is typically 12 months sealed; after that, assay drift and caking risks increase. Storage: cool, dry, away from acids and heat sources; always follow your SDS.

Industries and compliance

Used in base metals mining, occasionally in precious metals and polymetallic operations. Responsible suppliers align with ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and OSHA/REACH for hazard communication. Frankly, consistent paperwork (SDS, COA, batch traceability) is as valuable as the reagent itself during audits.

Citations

1. PubChem: Potassium ethyl xanthate
2. ECHA: Substance information portal (REACH/GHS context)
3. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200 Hazard Communication Standard
4. ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems
5. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems