Effects of frothers on bubbles size and flotation performance of hydrophobic minerals

Frothers facilitate the reduction of bubbles size by preventing bubbles coalescence and produce more stable froths.The collision probability of the bubbles and particles substantially increases by decreasing bubble size.For the same volume system,fewer bubbles result from a distribution of large-sized bubbles,and more bubbles result from a distribution of small-sized bubbles.In this research,fundamental two-phase frother characterization parameters were aimed to link with three-phase coal and talc flotation behavior.For this purpose,the effect of single and dual frother systems on inhibiting bubble coalescence was investigated with methyl isobutyl carbinol(MIBC),isooctanol(2 ethyl hexanol),pine oil,and Dowfroth 250.Based on the results of single frothers,isooctanol at the lowest critical coalescence concentration(CCC)value of 6×10^(−6) achieved the smallest bubbles with Sauter mean diameter of 0.80 mm.By blending Dowfroth 250 and pine oil,the bubbles size decreased significantly,reaching 0.45 mm.While the highest recoveries in coal flotation were obtained in single and frother blends where the bubbles size was measured as the smallest in two-phase system,and such a relationship was not found for talc flotation.

Flotation separation of brucite and calcite in dodecylamine system enhanced by regulator potassium dihydrogen phosphate

To achieve efficient flotation separation of brucite and calcite,flotation separation experiments were conducted on two minerals using dodecylamine(DDA)as the collector and potassium dihydrogen phosphate(PDP)as the regulator.The action mechanism of DDA and PDP was explored through contact angle measurement,zeta potential detection,solution chemistry calculation,FTIR analysis,and XPS detection.The flotation results showed that when DDA dosage was 35 mg/L and PDP dosage was 40 mg/L,the maximum floating difference between brucite and calcite was 79.81%,and the selectivity separation index was 6.46.The detection analysis showed that the main dissolved component HPO_(4)^(2−)of PDP is selectively strongly adsorbed on the Ca site on the surface of calcite,promoting the adsorption of the main dissolved component RNH_(3)^(+)of DDA on calcite surface,while brucite is basically not affected by PDP.Therefore,PDP is an effective regulator for the reverse flotation separation of brucite and calcite in DDA system.

A novel surfactant N-hydroxy-9,10-epoxy group-octadecanamide:Part II.Its synthesis and application in flotation separation of spodumene and albite

A novel hydroxamic acid,N-hydroxy-9,10-epoxy group-octadecanamide(N-OH-9,10-O-ODA),was synthesised by modifying the structure of oleic acid.The carboxyl group of oleic acid was converted into an N-hydroxy amide group,and an epoxy group was introduced into its structure.N-OH-9,10-O-ODA was used as a novel collector in the flotation separation of spodumene from one of its associated gangue minerals,specifically albite.N-OH-9,10-O-ODA exhibits remarkable selectivity,with a stronger affinity for collecting spodumene particles compared to albite particles.Zeta potential measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis reveal that the adsorption quantity of N-OH-9,10-O-ODA on spodumene surface is comparable to that on albite surface.First-principles calculations demonstrate the diverse adsorption configurations of N-OH-9,10-O-ODA on surfaces of spodumene and albite,leading to its distinct collecting abilities for spodumene and albite particles.

Acid mine drainage activation mechanism on lime-depressed pyrite flotation from copper sulfide ore

The lime-depressed pyrite from Cu differential flotation tailings with acid mine drainage(AMD)as a natural activator was recovered.The effect of AMD on lime-depressed pyrite flotation was investigated by a series of laboratory flotation tests and surface analytical techniques.Flotation test results indicated that AMD could effectively activate the pyrite flotation with a sodium butyl xanthate(SBX)collector,and a high-quality sulfur concentrate was obtained.Pulp ion concentration analysis results indicated that AMD facilitated desorption of Ca^(2+)and adsorption of Cu^(2+)on the depressed-pyrite surface.Adsorption measurements and contact angle analysis results confirmed that adding AMD improved the adsorption amount of SBX collector on the pyrite surface and increased the contact angle by 31°.Results of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that AMD treatment promoted the formation of hydrophobic species(S^(0) hydrophobic entity and copper sulfides)and the removal of hydrophilic calcium and iron species on the pyrite surface,which reinforced the adsorption of collector.The findings of the present research provide important theoretical basis and technical support for a cleaner production of copper sulfide ores.

Effect of sodium hexametaphosphate on separation of serpentine from pyrite

The effect of sodium hexametaphosphate（SHMP） on the separation of serpentine from pyrite and its mechanism were studied systematically through flotation tests,sedimentation tests,surface dissolution,ζ potential tests,adsorption measurements,and infrared spectroscopic analyses.The results show that the SHMP could significantly reduce the adverse effect of serpentine on the flotation of pyrite and make the mixed sample of pyrite and serpentine more disperse in the alkaline condition,thus improve the adsorption of xanthate on pyrite.The action mechanism of the SHMP is that it lowers the pH value at the isoelectric point of serpentine and enhances the negative charge through the dissolution of magnesium from the surface of serpentine and adsorbing on the surface of serpentine.It changes the total interaction energy between serpentine and pyrite from gravitational potential energy to repulse potential energy,according to the calculation of the EDLVO theory.

Effect of surface dissolution on flotation separation of fine ilmenite from titanaugite

The influence of surface dissolution on flotation separation of fine ilmenite from titanaugite was investigated through infrared spectroscopic （FT-IR） analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） test. The results show that surface dissolution in weak acid solution is helpful to enlarge the floatability difference between ilmenite and titanaugite. In weak acidic solution, as sodium oleate mainly interacts with Fe which results in ilmenite flotation, and surface dissolution is beneficial to its oxidation, the floatability of ilmenite after surface dissolution is increased; meanwhile, sodium oleate interacts with Ca and Mg which results in titanangite flotation, and the quantities of Ca and Mg on the surface of titanautite are decreased due to the surface dissolution, so the floatability of titanaugite after surface dissolution is depressed. For an ilmenite ore obtained from Panzhihua with TiO2 grade of 8.41%, flotation after surface dissolution treatment could increase TiO2 grade of rough concentrate from 26.7% to 31.73 %.

Flotation separation of chalcopyrite from galena by sodium humate and ammonium persulfate

The flotabilities of chalcopyrite and galena with sodium humate（HA） and ammonium persulfate（APS） as the depressant were studied by flotation test, adsorption measurement and infrared spectroscopic analysis. Single mineral flotation test shows that the slurry oxidation environment and the proper oxidation of galena surface are prerequisites for the depression of galena by sodium humate. The closed-circuit flotation test of copper/lead bulk concentrate shows that the grade and recovery of Cu reach 30.47% and 89.16% respectively and those of Pb reach 2.06% and1.58% respectively in copper concentrate, and the grade and recovery of Pb reach 50.34% and 98.42% and those of Cu reach 1.45% and 10.84% respectively in lead concentrate with HA and APS. The selective depression effect of HA and APS is more obvious than that of potassium dichromate. The results of FTIR analysis and adsorption measurements indicate that the adsorption of sodium humate on the fresh surface of galena is negligible, while after oxidation, sodium humate can be chemically adsorbed on the surface of galena. According to the theory of solubility product, the sodium humate can display the oxidation product PbSO_4, after then, adsorb on the surface of lead chemically to produce inhibitory effect. Thus, it can be seen that the combination of HA and APS is an efficient non-toxic reagent to achieve cleaning separation copper/lead bulk concentrate by flotation. The combination of HA and APS is an efficient non-toxic reagent to achieve cleaning for copper/lead bulk concentrate by flotation.

Electro-flotation and collision-attachment mechanism of fine cassiterite

In order to discuss the particle-bubble interaction during the electro-flotation of cassiterite,the recovery of cassiterite with different particle sizes was investigated,and the collision mechanism between the cassiterite particles and H2 bubbles was explored.The flotation tests were carried out in a single bubble flotation cell.The results show that cassiterite particles 10 μm,10-20 μm,20？38 μm and 38-74 μm match with bubbles with size of 50-150 μm,about 250 μm,74 μm and 74 μm,respectively,and a better recovery can be obtained.It is demonstrated that the recovery of cassiterite is influenced by the size of cassiterite particles and bubbles.Furthermore,the probabilities of collision,adhesion,detachment and collection were calculated using the collision,attachment and collection models.Theoretical calculation results show that the collision probability decreases sharply with decreasing particle size and increasing bubble size（below 150 μm）.The attachment probability would increase from the effective collision,leading to the increase of recovery.

Collision and attachment behavior between fine cassiterite particles and H_2 bubbles

Particle-bubble interaction during electro-flotation of cassiterite was investigated by determining the recovery of cassiterite and the collision mechanism of cassiterite particle and H2 bubble. Flotation tests at different conditions were conducted in a single bubble flotation cell. The recovery of cassiterite was found to be affected by cassiterite particle and bubble size. A matching range, in which the best recovery can be obtained, was found between particle and bubble size. Collision, attachment, and detachment of the particle-bubble were observed and captured by a high-speed camera. Particle-bubble collision and attachment were analyzed with the use of particle-bubble interaction theory to obtain the experimental results. An attachment model was introduced and verified through the photos captured by the high-speed camera. A bridge role was observed between the bubbles and particles. Particle-bubble interaction was found to be affected by bubble size and particle size, which significantly influenced not only the collision and attachment behavior of the particles and bubbles but also the flotation recovery of fine cassiterite particles.

Flotation recovery of vanadium from low-grade stone coal

Pre-concentration of vanadium from low-grade stone coal by the method of desliming-flotation was investigated. The mineral composition and microstructure of stone coal were studied systematically by means of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry （XRF）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results show that selective separation of vanadium-bearing minerals can be achieved by flotation in acidic solution using melamine （EA）. The final vanadium concentrate with V2O5 grade of 1.88% and recovery rate of 76.58% is obtained by desliming-flotation process and 72.51% of the raw ore is rejected as tailings. The pre-concentration of vanadium from low-grade stone coal can increase V2O5 grade and decrease the content of acid consuming minerals, which would enable economical utilization of metallurgical vanadium extraction technology.

Microthermokinetic study of xanthate adsorption on impurity-doped galena

Six kinds of galena with different impurities were synthesized and the effects of impurities on the floatability of galena were investigated. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters on the galena surface were measured using microcalorimetry, and the adsorption configuration and energy of butyl xanthate on the surfaces of galena with different impurities were simulated by density functional theory. Flotation experiments showed that Ag and Bi significantly promoted the recovery of galena, while Zn, Sb, Mn, and Cu reduced the recovery of the flotation. Microthermokinetic results indicated that the absolute value of xanthate adsorption heat was directly proportional to the flotation recovery of galena. Adsorption heat and reaction rate coefficients of xanthate on galena containing Ag or Bi were larger than those on pure galena, but smaller on galena containing Cu or Sb. Additionally, the relationship between the heat of unsaturated adsorption of xanthate and the adsorption energy of impurity atom on galena surface was investigated.

Pyrite depression in marmatite flotation by sodium glycerine-xanthate

The depression of pyrite in marmatite flotation by sodium glycerine-xanthate （SGX） was investigated through microflotation, zeta potential and adsorption measurements. The flotation tests of mineral show that in the presence of SGX, marmatite can be activated by Cu^2＋ and shows good flotability, while pyrite cannot be activated and therefore shows poor flotability. At the pH value range from 4 to 11, the flotation selectivity between marmatite and pyrite is obvious when the SGX concentration is below 50 mg/L. The depression mechanism of SGX on sulfide minerals is discussed based on zeta potential and adsorption isotherm. Zeta potential measurement demonstrates that in the presence of Cu^2＋, SGX can strongly adsorb on the surface of pyrite, while it cannot adsorb on the surface of marmatite. The results of adsorption isotherms show that the adsorption density of SGX on pyrite is greater.

Flotation behavior and adsorption mechanism of(1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-octenyl) phosphonic acid to cassiterite

The flotation behavior and adsorption mechanism of novel（1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-octenyl） phosphonic acid（HEPA） to cassiterite were investigated by micro-flotation tests, zeta potential measurements, FTIR determination and density functional theory（DFT） calculation. The flotation results demonstrated that HEPA exhibited superior collecting performance compared with styrene phosphonic acid（SPA）. The cassiterite recovery maintained above 90% over a wide pH range of 2-9 with 50 mg/L HEPA. The results of zeta potential measurement and FTIR detection indicated that the adsorption of HEPA onto cassiterite was mainly attributed to the chemisorption between HEPA monoanions and Sn species on mineral surfaces. The DFT calculation results demonstrated that HEPA monoanions owned higher HOMO energy and exhibited a better affinity to cassiterite than SPA, which provided very clear evidence for the stronger collecting power of HEPA presented in floatation test and zeta potential measurement.

Mechano-chemical sulfidization of zinc oxide by grinding with sulfur and reductive additives

A novel process for sulfidation of ZnO by co-grinding with sulfur and reductive additives （P, Fe, A1, and Mg） was developed. The sulfidation extent of ZnO with the addition of P, Fe, A1 or Mg can reach 85.2%, 81.6%, 96.7% and 92.6% after grinding for 4, 6, 1 and 1 h, respectively. Based on the chemical phase composition analysis and morphological characteristics of sulfidized products by XRD, SEM and TEM, a possible reaction mechanism, mechanically induced self-propagating reaction （MSR）, was proposed to explain the sulfidization reaction. In addition, the floatability of sulfidized products was investigated for the recovery of metal sulfide and ZnS can be concentrated with a high concentration ratio and concentrate grade. By using the sulfidizing process, it is expected that the recovery of zinc from the wastes or purification of heavy-metal-containing hazardous residues is technically feasible.

Effect of degree of substitution of carboxymethyl starch on diaspore depression in reverse flotation

Carboxymethyl starchs（CMS） with low and high degrees of substitution（CMSL and CMSH in short,respectively） were employed as depressants of diaspore in cationic reverse flotation using dodecylamine（DDA） as collector.The effect of degree of substitution of CMS on its depression performance was examined and the interaction mode and behavior were investigated in a comparative manner.Micro-flotation test showed that CMSL exhibited better performance in depressing diaspore than CMSH in a broad pH range.The adsorption of CMS on diaspore was studied by adsorption test,zeta potential measurement,and atomic force microscopy.It was found that CMSH corresponds to lower adsorption amount,thinner adsorption layer,and more negative charge than CMSL,resulting from the more chelating sites brought by the high degree of substitution.The surface tension measurement and DDA adsorption test further revealed that CMSL/DDA system gives a better depressing performance benefiting from the trapping effect by enveloping some DDA molecules inside the loop chains,while CMSH/DDA system is likely considered a quasi-surfactant.

Flotation of low-grade bauxite using organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant

The flotation of diaspore and three kinds of silicate minerals, including kaolinite, illite and pyrophyllite, using an organosilicon cationic surfactant (TAS101) as collector and starch as depressant was investigated. The results show that both diaspore and aluminosilicate minerals float readily with organosilicon cationic collector TAS101 at pH values of 4 to 10. Starch has a strong depression effect for diaspore in the alkaline pH region but has little influence on the flotation of aluminosilicate minerals. It is possible to separate diaspore from aluminosilicate minerals using the organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant. Further studies of bauxite ore flotation were also conducted, and the reverse flotation separation process was adopted. The concentrates with the mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 of 9.58 and Al2O3 recovery of 83.34% are obtained from natural bauxite ore with the mass ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 of 6.1 at pH value of 11 using the organosilicon cationic collector and starch depressant.

Comparative studies on flotation of aluminosilicate minerals with Gemini cationic surfactants BDDA and EDDA

Gemini quaternary ammonium salt surfactants, butane-a, co-bis（dimethyl dodeculammonium bromide） （BDDA） ethane-a, fl-bis（dimethyl dodeculammonium bromide） （EDDA） were adopted to comparatively study the flotation behaviors of kaolinite, pyrophyllite and illite. It was found that three silicate minerals all exhibited good floatability with Gemini cationic surfactants as collectors over a wide pH range, while BDDA showed a stronger collecting power than EDDA. FTIR spectra and zeta potential analysis indicated that the mechanism of adsorption of Gemini collector molecules on three silicate minerals surfaces was almost identical for the electronic attraction and hydrogen bonds effect. The theoretically obtained results of density functional theory （DFT） at B3LYP/6-31G （d） level demonstrated the stronger collecting power of BDDA presented in the floatation test and zeta potential measurement.

Selective depression of galena and chalcopyrite by O,O-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl) dithiophosphate

A novel synthesized reagent, O,O-bis（2,3-dihydroxypropyl） dithiophosphate （DHDTP）, was investigated as depressant on the depression of chalcopyrite and galena, when ammonium dibutyl dithiophosphate （DDTP） was used as the collector in flotation tests. Zeta potential and adsorption measurement were performed to study the interaction between depressant and minerals. The flotation tests of two minerals show that DHDTP has slight depression on chalcopyrite in the whole pH range and strong depression on galena in the pH range of 6-10. When DHDTP dosage is increased, the recovery of galena decreases rapidly, while that of the chalcopyrite decreases slightly. The satisfied separation results of artificially mixed samples are that the copper grade and recovery rates of concentrate are 24.08% and 81%, respectively, when the pH is 6 with 278 mg/L DHDTP. Zeta potential and adsorption measurements show that DHDTP has more strongly adsorotion capacity to galena than chalcoovrite.

Recovery of vanadium and carbon from low-grade stone coal by flotation

Flotation technology of high-carbon stone coal bearing vanadium was investigated based on mineralogical study. Carbon and vanadium flotation circuits were included in the flotation process for carbon and vanadium mineral concentrates. Carbon and vanadium minerals were efficiently separated via regrinding process in the carbon flotation circuit. The results show that the grade and recovery of V2O5 in flotation concentrate are 1.32% and 88.38%, respectively, and the tailings yield is 38.36%. Meanwhile, the grade and recovery of the carbon mineral are 30.08% and 75.10%, respectively, which may be utilized as the fossil fuels directly. The leaching rates of the flotation products are as high as 85%. The results demonstrate that there is no direct adverse effect of flotation process on vanadium leaching. This technology could potentially reduce cost and increase the treatment capacity of vanadium extraction and provide reference to stone coal flotation technology.

Flotation separation of andalusite from quartz using sodium petroleum sulfonate as collector

The floatability of andalusite and quartz was studied using sodium petroleum sulfonate as collector, being successfully applied in the real ore separation. The collecting performance on minerals was interpreted by means of zeta potential measurement and infrared spectroscopic analysis. The single mineral experiments showed that andalusite got good floatability in acidic pH region while quartz exhibited very poor floatability in the whole pH range. At pH 3, the presence of Fe3+ obviously activated quartz, causing the identical flotation behavior of the two minerals, and calcium lignosulphonate exhibited good selective inhibition to quartz. The real ore test results showed that andalusite concentrate with 53.46% Al2O3 and quartz concentrate with 92.74% SiO2 were obtained. The zeta potential and infrared spectroscopic analysis results indicated that chemical adsorption occurred between sodium petroleum sulfonate and andalusite.