Sodium Fluoride Supplier South Africa

What Is Sodium Fluoride?

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is an inorganic salt of hydrofluoric acid, provided as white crystalline powder or granules. In mineral processing, sodium fluoride is primarily used as a selective depressant for silicate and phyllosilicate gangue minerals — particularly mica, talc, serpentine, and other magnesium or calcium silicates that have naturally hydrophobic or weakly hydrophobic surfaces and tend to float with sulphide minerals, degrading concentrate grade. Fluoride ion (F⁻) in solution activates silicate mineral surfaces toward water, suppressing their flotation response.

Silicate and Mica Depression

In copper, lead-zinc, and PGM flotation circuits processing silicate-bearing ores, mica (biotite, muscovite, phlogopite) and clay minerals are problematic gangue minerals that report to concentrate with sulphide minerals, reducing metal grades and increasing smelter penalty elements. Sodium fluoride at dosages of 100–500 g/t in the conditioning stage depresses these silicate minerals by fluoride adsorption on their surfaces, making them hydrophilic and preventing collector adsorption. It is commonly used in combination with other silicate depressants such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or guar gum for enhanced selectivity, particularly in ores with high talc or mica content.

Phosphate Processing Application

In phosphate flotation, sodium fluoride is used to depress silica gangue minerals (quartz, feldspar) and allow selective flotation of apatite with fatty acid collectors. The fluoride ion forms sparingly soluble calcium fluoride on silica surfaces, reducing their floatability. Terracore Chemicals supplies sodium fluoride in technical grade for mining and mineral processing applications across Southern Africa.