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.

Synthesis and Properties of Gemini Cationic Surfactants with Amide Spacers

Four gemini cationic surfactants {N,N′-di[2-(lauryldimethylamino)acetyl]polymethylenediamine dichloride, LAA-s-LAA, s=2,3,4,6} were synthesized by using four bis(α-chloroacetamide)s and N,N-dimethyllaurylamine, respectively. The molecular structures were characterized by means of IR, ~ 1H NMR, \{~ ~13 C NMR\} and MS, and the behavior of their aqueous solutions was studied. The critical micell concentrations(CMC) of LAA-s-LAA were one order of magnitude lower than that of dodecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride(DTAC). With the change of the length of spacer chain(s), their CMC values change, and CMC reaches the top value at s=4.

Phase Separation and Microstructure of Mixed Surfactants Solution Containing Cationic Geminis and Traditional Anionic Surfactant

The properties of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of mixed solution containing gemini cationic surfactant trimethylene-1,3-bis(dodecyldimethyl ammonium) bromide (12-3-12, 2Br-) and traditional anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with or without added salt have been studied. An ATPS is formed in a narrow region of the ternary phase diagram different from that of traditional aqueous cationic-anionic surfactant systems. In ATPS region, the lowest total concentration of surfactants varies with the mixing ratio of geminis to SDS. Photographs obtained from freeze-etching, negative-staining and transmission electron microscopy show that the microstructures of two phases are different from each other. Micelles and vesicles can coexist in a single phase. The addition of salts can change the phase diagram of ATPS. Furthermore, the added salts promote the aggregation of rod-like micelles to form coarse network structure that increase the viscosity of solutions. The negative ions of the added salts are the determining factor.