Vanadinite Vanadinite Vanadinite is a mineral belonging to the apatite group of phosphates, with the chemical formula Pb(VO)Cl. It is one of the main industrial ores of the metal vanadium and a minor source of lead. A dense, brittle mineral, it is usually found in the form of red hexagonal crystals. It is an uncommon mineral, formed by the oxidation of lead ore deposits such as galena. First discovered in 1801 in Mexico, vanadinite deposits have since been unearthed in South America, Europe, Africa, and North America. Vanadinite is an uncommon mineral, only occurring as the result of chemical alterations to
Mineral processing is not completely known and further research into their mechanisms is being performed. Depressants and activators are used to selectively separate one mineral from another. Depressants inhibit the flotation of one mineral or minerals while activators enable the flotation of others. Examples of these include CN, used to depress all sulfides but galena and this depressant is believed to operate by changing the solubility of chemisorbed and physisorbed collectors on sulfides. This theory originates from Russia. An example of an activator is Cu ions, used for the flotation of sphalerite. There are a number of cells able to be used