Question

What is meant by a depressant?

Answer 1

A depressant is a substance used in the froth flotation process to selectively prevent one component of an ore from forming froth. It works by forming a complex with that component, stopping its particles from attaching to the bubbles, thus aiding in the separation of ores. For example, NaCN acts as a depressant by complexing with ZnS to separate it from PbS. This helps in isolating the desired ore during processing.