Bismutite

Bismutite

Heavy Metals

Published in Abhik Gupta, Heavy Metal and Metalloid Contamination of Surface and Underground Water, 2020

Bismuth (Bi) with an atomic number of 83, an atomic weight of 208.98, and a density of 9.75 g cm–3 is a heavy metal that occurs in nature both as a free metal and in ores. The two major ores are bismutite, which is bismuth subcarbonate [Bi2(CO3)O2], and bismuthinite or bismuth sulfide [(Bi2S3)]. Bismuth in these ores is associated with lead and antimony. The major use of bismuth is in the making of alloys, especially those with low melting points, which are often used in welding. Bismuth telluride is a semiconductor, and several bismuth salts are used in cosmetics and medicines. Bismuth also acts as a catalyst in the production of acrylic fibers, and in fire detectors and extinguishers (Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety 2012).

Rejection of antimony and bismuth in sulphide flotation – a literature review

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Journal Information

Published in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 2021

Leanne Kathleen Smith, Warren John Bruckard, Graham Jeffrey Sparrow

Bismite (Bi2O3) and bismutite (Bi2O2CO3) are oxidation products of native bismuth and bismuthinite. No information was found on the flotation of these bismuth oxides. In complex ores, bismuth can form a wide variety of sulphosalts with the heavy metals in the ore. Examples of these types of minerals include wittichenite (Cu3BiS3), emplecite (CuBiS2) and aikinite (PbCuBiS3).

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Heavy Metals

Rejection of antimony and bismuth in sulphide flotation – a literature review