Studies on the flotation of sulphides. III. A manometric study of the uptake of O2 by aqueous suspensions of zinc sulphide particles

A modified Warburg manometer has been used to study the relatively slow uptake of O₂ by particles of pure synthetic ZnS in aqueous suspension at 26°C. When dry ZnS is placed in unbuffered water there is an immediate ($\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{< 5}\text{s}$) fall in pH (corresponding to the uptake of one HO^? for approximately every 12.5 surface atoms of zinc) and a fairly rapid ($\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{～ 5}\text{min}$) uptake of O₂ (corresponding to one O₂ for approximately every 20 surface atoms of zinc), followed by a slow steady-state uptake of O₂ (equivalent to one O₂ per approx. 5000 surface atoms of zinc per min). The subsequent addition of Cu(II) ions causes an immediate increase in the rate of O₂-uptake which gradually reverts to the steady-state rate; this provides evidence for a distinct intermediate stage in the formation of Cu(II)-activated ZnS.