minerals Article New Eco-Friendly Xanthate-Based Flotation Agents Milutin M. Milosavljevi´c 1,*, Aleksandar D. Marinkovi´c 2, Milica Ranˇci´c 3, Goran Milentijevi´c 1, Aleksandra Bogdanovi´c 2, Ilija N. Cvijeti´c 4 and Dejan Gureši´c 1 1 Faculty of Technical Science, University of Priština, Knjaza Miloša 7, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia;
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[email protected] (D.G.) 2 Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, P.O. Box 3503, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia;
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[email protected] (A.B.) 3 Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030 Beograd, Serbia;
[email protected] 4 Innovation center of the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12, 11158 Belgrade, Serbia;
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[email protected] Received: 25 March 2020; Accepted: 10 April 2020; Published: 14 April 2020 Abstract: An optimal laboratory two-step procedure was developed for sodium/potassium O-alkyl carbonodithioate (sodium/potassium alkyl xanthates) production in the form of aqueous solutions. Sodium isopropyl xanthate (Na-iPrX), as the most effective salt in a real ore flotation process, was also produced at an industrial level and introduced as a collector for copper ores. In order to reduce toxicity of the flotation process and improve sustainability by minimising environmental impacts, collector efficiency and selectivity in the flotation process were studied in relation to possible synergism of xanthates combined with the derived biomass and biodegradable green reagents levulinic acid, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furanacrylic acid (HMFA), and condensation product of hydroxymethylfurfural and levulinic acid.