Literature overview of basic characteristics and flotation laws of flocs

Flocculation flotation is the most efficient method for recovering fine-grained minerals,and its essence lies in flotation and recovery of flocs.Fundamental physical characteristics of flocs are mainly determined by their apparent particle size and structure(density and morphology).Substantial researches have been conducted regarding the effect of floc characteristics on particle settling and water treatment.However,the influence of floc characteristics on flotation has not been widely studied.Based on the floc formation and flocculation flotation,this study reviews the fundamental physical characteristics of flocs from the perspectives of floc particle size and structure,summarizing the interaction between floc particle size and structure.Moreover,it thoroughly discusses the effect of floc particle size and structure on floc floatability,further revealing the influence of floc characteristics on bubble collision and adhesion and elucidating the mechanisms of interaction between flocs and bubbles.Thus,it is observed that floc particle size is not the only factor influencing flocculation flotation.Within the appropriate apparent particle size range,flocs with a compact structure exhibit higher efficiency in bubble collision and adhesion during flotation,thereby resulting in enhanced flotation performance.This study aims to provide a reference for flocculation flotation,targeting the development of more efficient and refined flocculation flotation processes in the future.

Insights into the influence of temperature on the adsorption behavior of sodium oleate and its response to flotation of quartz

Temperature affects the flotation of quartz in the calcium/sodium oleate(Na OL)system,while there is a lack of understanding of its potential mechanism.Therefore,in this work,the flotation response of quartz to temperature was investigated via micro-flotation experiments,interface property analyses,and theoretical calculations.Flotation results demonstrated that increasing temperature contributed to higher flotation recovery of quartz,which enhanced the removal of quartz from hematite.Surface tension results revealed that higher temperatures lowered the critical micelle concentration(CMC)and surface tension of the Na OL solution,and thus enhanced its surface activity.Solution chemistry calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)measurements confirmed that the increased content of Ca(OH)+achieved by increasing temperatures enhanced the adsorption amounts of calcium species(acting as activation sites)on the quartz surface.Dynamic light scattering(DLS)measurements verified that the association degree of RCOOàto form(RCOO)22àwas strengthened.Furthermore,adsorption density measurements and molecular dynamics(MD)simulations confirmed that increasing the temperature facilitated Na OL adsorption toward the surface of the quartz,which was attributed to the stronger interaction between Na OL and the calcium-activated quartz surface at higher temperatures.As a result,quartz flotation was improved by increasing temperatures.Accordingly,a possible adsorption model was proposed.

Utilization of DTAB as a collector for the reverse flotation separation of quartz from fluorapatite

Reverse flotation desilication is an indispensable step for obtaining high-grade fluorapatite. In this work, dodecyltrimethylammoni- um bromide (DTAB) is recommended as an efficient collector for the reverse flotation separation of quartz from fluorapatite. Its collectivity for quartz and selectivity for fluorapatite were also compared with figures corresponding to the conventional collector dodecylamine hydrochlor- ide (DAC) via microflotation experiments. The adsorption behaviors of DTAB and DAC on minerals were systematically investigated with surface chemical analyses, such as contact angle determination, zeta potential detection, and adsorption density measurement. The results re- vealed that compared to DAC, DTAB displayed a similar and strong collectivity for quartz, and it showed a better selectivity (or worse col- lectivity) for fluorapatite, resulting in a high-efficiency separation of the two minerals. The surface chemical analysis results showed that the adsorption ability of DTAB on the quartz surface was as strong as that of DAC, whereas the adsorption amount of DTAB on the fluorapatite surface was much lower than that of DAC, which is associated with the flotation performance. During the floatation separation of the actual ore, 8wt% fluorapatite with a higher grade can be obtained using DTAB in contrast to DAC. Therefore, DTAB is a promising collector for the high-efficiency purification and sustainable utilization of valuable fluorapatite recourses.

Role of surface roughness in the magnesite flotation and its mechanism

Surface roughness has a significant influence on mineral flotation.The assisting effect of surface roughness on minerals flotation is extensively investigated from its physical properties(e.g.,the existing form of asperity and its size),however,the associated effect on mineral flotation based on the differences in surface chemical property caused by surface roughness has been rarely touched.With such a question in mind,in this study,we investigated the flotation recoveries of two batches of magnesite particles with varying degree of surface roughness produced by two different mills,and associated the flotation performances to their surface chemical properties(amount of adsorption sites for the collector)via a series of detections,including Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectrometry(SEM-EDS)observations,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)analysis,adsorption capacity tests,and contact angle measurements.Finally,we concluded that rougher magnesite particles could provide more active sites(Mg^(2+))for a larger capacity of sodium oleate(NaOL),thereby improving the hydrophobicity and floatability.