Determination of the flotation collector ethyl xanthate by flow-injection analysis

A flow-injection method for determination of xanthate with amperometric detection is presented. A composite carbon electrode modified with silica gel is used for detection. Very good reproducibility (1.5% r.s.d.) results from renovation of the electrode surface by three potential scans between measurements. In the analysis of flotation liquor, the interfering effect of metal complexes, formed by leaching of the ore in water, is eliminated by addition of EDTA. The method can be used to determine ethyl xanthate in the concentration range 0.10-10.0 mg/1, with a detection limit of 0.04 mg/1.