Abstract: The effects of two types of organic depressants, guar gum and tannic acid, on the flotation of galena, chalcopyrite and pyrite were investigated using micro-flotation tests, and different addition orders of the two reagents and ethyl xanthate were also studied. When guar gum is added first, its depression effect on sulfides is considerable;but when ethyl xanthate is added first, guar gum has little depression effect on sulfide flotation. Tannic acid depresses pyrite and galena whatever addition order of ethyl xanthate. The interaction between guar gum or tannic acid and ethyl xanthate on the sulfide surface was studied by UV spectroscopy. It is indicated that guar gum has no impact on the adsorption of ethyl xanthate on the sulfide surface, while tannic acid can prevent the adsorption of ethyl xanthate. Infrared spectroscopy analysis suggests that tannic acid adsorbs on the galena surface by chemical action, which is the reason that tannic acid can depress sulfides adsorbing ethyl xanthate.