Precipitate flotation of chromium

A three‐stage procexsss of reduction of acid chromate (HCrO₄⁻), with NaHSO₃ followed by precipitation of Cr(III) with NaOH followed by flotation with an anionic surfactant, provides 97% removal of chromium from aqueous suspensions containing 48.3 mg./liter Cr (0.929 mM). The required dosage of surfactant (sodium laurylsulfate) is 0.093 mole SLS/mole Cr, compared to a dosage of 1.1 mole cationic surfactant/mole Cr, used to ion float soluble acid chromate. The precipitate flotation process is pH dependent: below pH 6.3, soluble chromium species become appreciable and the flotation results agree with calculated soluble chromium concentrations; above pH 9.7, the charge of the precipitate is reversed, as indicated by surface potential measurements. The optimum pH range for flotation is 7.0 to 8.8. The effect of initial surfactant concentration on the flotation efficiency is established. Small quantities of calcium enhance the flotation of Cr, while higher concentrations, 0.5 mM and greater, decrease flotation efficiency. For suspensions with a doubled chromium concentration (96.6 mg./liter), the optimum pH range for flotation is lowered and narrowed to 6.3 to 6.5, indicating modifications in particle surface characteristics validated by measurements of surface potential and surfactant adsorption. Eighty‐seven percent flotation is achieved at a 0.093 mole/mole ratio.