Description:
Sodium metabisulfite (also known as pyrosulfuric acid salt, sodium pyrosulfite, or sodium bisulfite) is a white or slightly yellow crystalline powder with a strong, pungent odor.
Applications:
In the flotation of non-ferrous and rare metal ores, sodium metabisulfite is used as a depressant—suppressing the floatability of specific minerals that should not rise during the flotation process. These are typically sulfide compounds. Under certain conditions, sulfoxide compounds can form stable complexes with ions of iron, copper, lead, and precious metals, and can also dissolve metal xanthates (similar to cyanide). In some flotation processes, these properties allow operators to avoid the use of hazardous cyanide compounds.