Effects and Mechanism of Different Grinding Media on the Flotation Behaviors of Beryl and Spodumene

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments to authors on the attached document

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript needs to be edited by a native English speaker.  The first four sentences in the Introduction contain grammar errors.  No additional comments will be made regarding the documents English, but it must be corrected prior to publishing.

Lack of references to Iwasaki's work on grinding media/flotation interactions bring to question how thorough was the literature review.

Seems like authors should also reference Li, Chengwei, and Zhiyong Gao. "Effect of grinding media on the surface property and flotation behavior of scheelite particles." Powder technology 322 (2017): 386-392.

The experimental section lacks many details.  It is unlikely that another research could reproduce the procedure used by the authors.

The authors claim 99% purity of the mineral samples.  Evidence in the form of X-ray diffraction and composition should be provided to the reviewers.

More details need to be provided by the authors regarding their molecular simulation calculation.

Authors need to indicate experimental error or provide error bars on all figures with data.  They are claiming that iron balls decrease flotation recovery, but no evidence is provide to determine if the observed difference is real or within the experimental noise.

Authors introduce zeta potential, XPS, SEM, EDS, infrared spectroscopy in section 4, but do not include these methods in the experimental section.  More details need to be provided about the analytical techniques used.

In Table 3, the authors indicate 10 significant figures of accuracy.  This seems highly unlikely.

The authors' English makes it hard to determine what they are trying to saying in many of the explanations in Section 4.

While the work presented by the authors provide useful information, there are many grammar and technical issues that need to be address before this work should be published.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

This study is original well-prepared research article investigating the effect of ball type (zirconium and iron balls) in wet grinding of beryl and spodumene flotation with dodecylamine and sodium oleate collectors by using XPS, zeta potential measurement and surface interaction simulation tests.

Adsorption model of minerals studied and interaction energy calculation give good contribution to the literature by investigating the mechanisms of collector adsorption on the beryl and spodumene minerals studied.

I am happy to recommend that the paper be accepted for the publication as its current state.

Author Response

Thank you for your kindly advice.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript is much improved.  However, there are still a few errors.  For example, Pg 5 Ln 171 "shows" should be "show".  Pg 2 Ln 76 "1750 round" should be "1750 revolutions".

Table 3 and 4 should not be published as is.  The authors' response to previous criticism about the number of significant figures is unacceptable.  The likelihood that the model used to create the simulations had in its databases all energy values with 10 place accuracy is highly unlikely.  Even six places of accuarcy seem unlikely The editors should required that Table 3 and 4 be changed. 

Furthermore, the editors should consider if the use of kcal per mol instead of the standard SI units of kJ per mol is acceptable.

Author Response

I have revised the paper according to the review comments. Thank you very much.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf