China’s Xanthate Sector Has Favorable Prospects

By Song Jiang, Liu Mingliang and Feng Weiguo, Shaanxi Huaguang Industry Co Ltd

Xanthate output up

With the development of the mining industry in China, the consumption of xanthate, which is mainly used as a collecting agent, has increased. China’s demand for xanthate was around 166.2 thousand tons in 2006, and increased to 241.3 thousand tons in 2011 with an average annual growth of 7.5%. Due to the rapid growth of the market demand, China's xanthate capacity has increased considerably, but it is still hard to meet the domestic demand. Every year, China needs to import around 20 thousand tons of xanthate.
The output of xanthate in China reached 186 thousand tons in 2009 and increased to 221.1 thousand tons in 2011.
   China’s xanthate producers are mainly distributed in East China and more than 40% of consumption is also in East China is. At present, the two leading domestic xanthate producers, Qixia Tongda Flotation Reagent Co Ltd and Yantai Humon Chemical Auxiliary Co Ltd, dominate  the market. In addition, Shaanxi Huaguang Industry Co Ltd will complete a 10 thousand t/a solid xanthate production line and put it into operation, making the company the largest flotation reagent producer in Northwest China.


Table 1 Supply and Demand for Xanthate in China in Recent Years (thousand tons)

Year    2006    2007    2008    2009    2010    2011
Output    147.1    158.6    171.3    186    202.7    221.1
Import volume    51.5    55.5    59.9    65.1    71.0    76.3
Export volume    32.4    34.9    37.7    46.5    50.7    58.3
Demand    166.2    179.2    193.5    204.6    223.0    241.3
Balance    -19.1    -20.6    -22.2    -18.6    -20.3    -18.0



Prices of xanthate rising

The sale prices of xanthate in China have increased constantly with the average price growing from around RMB7 500 per ton in 2006 to around RMB9 000 per ton currently.

Import and export volumes of xanthate increase

Every year, China needs to import xanthate from abroad. The import volume was 51.5 thousand tons in 2006 and increased to 71 thousand tons in 2010. China imported 45.5 thousand tons of xanthate in only the first half of 2011.
The amount of xanthate China exports has climbed at an average annual rate around 10% in recent five years, and still increases year by year. International demand for xanthate in grows annually and this offers a good development opportunity for domestic xanthate enterprises.

Prospects of xanthate are favorable

The supply of xanthate in China is slightly insufficient, and this has created a certain development space for the xanthate market and stimulated investments in the xanthate sector. It is expected that the average annual growth of xanthate output in China will be around 8.2% in the next five years and China’s output of xanthate will reach 302 thousand tons by 2015.
   With the development of the mining industry, the demand for xanthate in China will still grow year by year in the next few years. It is expected that the average annual growth of xanthate demand in China will be around 6% in the next five years and China’s demand for xanthate will reach around 305 thousand tons by 2015.
   The consumption of xanthate for flotation in the world is estimated to be around 100 thousand tons each year. The development of the xanthate sector will promote the development of upstream suppliers of raw materials (caustic soda, alcohol and carbon sulfide etc.) and downstream sectors such as flotation, rubber, metallurgy, etc.

Domestic production processes

At present, major production methods of xanthate include crystallization method, direct synthesis method, wet alkali method, diluent method, utility model reactor method, excess alcohol method, alkali metal alcohol gan method and vapor method.

Table 2 Major Xanthate Producers in China

Company    Major products    Capacity (thousand t/a)
Qixia Tongda Flotation Reagent Co Ltd    Xanthate, black powder and diethyldithiocarbamate series flotation reagents    30
Yantai Humon Chemical Auxiliary Co Ltd    Solid xanthate series    30
Shandong Boshan Hongqiao Chemical Factory    Sodium (potassium) ethyl xanthate, sodium (potassium) isopropyl xanthate, sodium (potassium) butyl xanthate, sodium (potassium) isobutyl xanthate and sodium (potassium) isoamyl xanthate    10
Zhejiang Longxin Chemical Co Ltd    Terpineol for flotation, sodium butyl xanthate and sodium ethyl xanthate     5
Source: CNCIC


As a traditional collecting agent for sulfide ores, xanthate is widely used at home and abroad and its series products include:
   Sodium ethyl xanthate: Sodium ethyl xanthate can be widely applied to the preferential flotation for easily floated or complex non-ferrous metal sulfide ores. It can be applied to the flotation of copper, lead oxide ores in conjunction with vulcanizing agents, and also used as a hydrometallurgy precipitation agent (such as zinc electrolyte purification) and rubber vulcanization accelerator.
   Sodium isopropyl xanthate: The collecting ability of sodium isopropyl xanthate is slightly stronger than that of ethyl xanthate in the flotation of the non-ferrous metal sulfide ores. It is mainly used as a collecting agent for the flotation of non-ferrous metal sulfide ores, and can also be used as a hydrometallurgy precipitation agent and rubber vulcanization accelerator.
Sodium butyl xanthate: Sodium butyl xanthate, which is a flotation reagent with stronger collecting ability, is widely used in the mixed flotation for all kinds of non-ferrous metal sulfide ores, especially in the flotation of chalcopyrite, sphalerite and pyrite, etc. Under certain conditions, it can be used in the preferential flotation of copper sulfide ore from iron sulfide ore, and also in the flotation of sphalerite that is activated by copper sulfate. In addition, sodium butyl xanthate is a xanthate product with extensive application.
   Sodium isoamyl xanthate: Sodium isoamyl xanthate, which is a strong collecting agent, is mainly applied to the flotation of non-ferrous metal minerals that need the collecting force and do not require strong selectivity. For example, it is a good collecting agent for the flotation of oxidized sulfide ores or copper oxide ores and lead oxide ores (after the vulcanization by sodium sulfide and sodium hydrosulfide). Sodium isoamyl xanthate can also achieve a better separation effect in the flotation of copper-nickel sulfide ores and gold-bearing pyrite, etc.
   Sodium isobutyl xanthate: Sodium isobutyl xanthate is also a flotation reagent with stronger collecting ability in the flotation of non-ferrous metal sulfide ores. It is mainly used for the flotation of copper, lead, zinc and other metal sulfide ores and has a particular effect in the flotation of all kinds of copper ores and pyrite in the natural loop.
   Sodium amyl xanthate: Sodium amyl xanthate, which is a strong collecting agent, is mainly applied to the flotation of non-ferrous metal minerals that need the collecting force and do not require strong selectivity. For example, it is a good collecting agent for the flotation of oxidized sulfide ores or copper oxide ores and lead oxide ores (after vulcanization by sodium sulfide and sodium hydrosulfide). Sodium amyl xanthate can also obtain a better separation effect in the flotation of copper-nickel sulfide ores and gold-bearing pyrite, etc.