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Minerals
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Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation
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Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 6127

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shiva Mohammadi-Jam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 0C5, Canada
Interests: mineral processing; surface chemistry; interfacial science; flotation; extractive metallurgy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the intricate field of mineral processing, where science meets artistry in unlocking the riches hidden within ore bodies, froth flotation emerges as an exciting process. Controlled by sensitive interactions between molecular forces and tailored chemical formulations, surface chemistry orchestrates the delicate interplay between solid particles, air bubbles, and liquid chemistry, guiding them to harmonize in the flotation process towards optimal separation and purification.

Froth flotation is a fascinating application of surface chemistry and interfacial phenomena in which flotation reagents play a vital role in improving separation efficiency. Due to its technical versatility and cost-effectiveness, froth flotation is extensively used in the mining industry to meet the rapid growth in demand for minerals and metals. The flotation process depends heavily on surface chemistry, which can be controlled by various chemical reagents classified as collectors, depressants, frothers, promoters, modifiers, and pH regulators. Understanding how these chemicals and mineral surfaces interact is crucial for both enhancing flotation performance and mitigating the environmental impact posed by the chemical reagents. From fundamental research to practical applications, this Special Issue of Minerals offers an opportunity and a canvas for exploration and discovery to reveal the secrets of surfaces and the transformative power of reagents, promising not just efficiency but also sustainability in harnessing the Earth’s treasures.

Dr. Shiva Mohammadi-Jam
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • flotation
  • surface chemistry
  • hydrophobicity
  • frother
  • collector
  • depressant

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 1401 KiB  
Article
Pyrite–Coal Depressants Interactions During Coal Reverse Flotation
by You Zhou, Zijuan Xie, Boris Albijanic, Arturo A. García-Figueroa, Sheila Devasahayam, Bogale Tadesse and Rensheng Li
Minerals 2025, 15(2), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15020130 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 639
Abstract
This work investigates coal desulfurization by using reverse flotation. In this method, pyrite (the only source of sulfur in the studied coal) was separated from the meta-bituminous coal by using three different coal depressants (starch, dextrin and humic acid). A novel variable elimination [...] Read more.
This work investigates coal desulfurization by using reverse flotation. In this method, pyrite (the only source of sulfur in the studied coal) was separated from the meta-bituminous coal by using three different coal depressants (starch, dextrin and humic acid). A novel variable elimination approach was used to determine the contribution of the depressant type and the depressant concentration on the desulfurization performance. The results showed that the pyrite recoveries are influenced by the depressant type while the highest pyrite recovery was achieved in the presence of humic acid. Therefore, humic acid should be used in flotation rougher and scavenger cells in which the aim is to achieve high pyrite recovery. By contrast, the pyrite grades are affected significantly by the depressant concentration. Considering that the aim in flotation cleaner cells is to achieve high pyrite grade, any of the studied coal depressants can be successfully used but at high concentrations. This work demonstrated that the selection of flotation depressants depends on the type of flotation cells used in coal desulfurization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation)
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12 pages, 1645 KiB  
Article
Insights on the Flotation Separation of Hematite from Quartz with a 4-Tert-butyl-catechol Collector
by Chenglong Du, Jiang Yu and Guangyi Liu
Minerals 2024, 14(12), 1255; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14121255 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1143
Abstract
Iron ore is the main raw material of the iron and steel metallurgy industry, but quartz in iron ore reduces metallurgical efficiency and increases metallurgical costs. Therefore, iron ore desiliconization by flotation plays an important role in the iron and steel metallurgy industry. [...] Read more.
Iron ore is the main raw material of the iron and steel metallurgy industry, but quartz in iron ore reduces metallurgical efficiency and increases metallurgical costs. Therefore, iron ore desiliconization by flotation plays an important role in the iron and steel metallurgy industry. In this study, 4-tert-butyl-catechol (TBC) was designed as a collector to directly float out hematite from quartz. The micro-flotation tests demonstrated that under pH ~9.0, 1 × 10−5 mol·L−1 TBC recovered 98% hematite from its mixture with quartz, while the recovery of quartz was only about 17%. Zeta potential and contact angle results inferred that the adsorption affinity of TBC toward hematite was greater than that to quartz. The results of FTIR and XPS inferred that TBC adsorbed on the Fe3+ sites of hematite interfaced via the O atom of its two adjacent hydroxyl groups to form a stable five-membered chelating ring at pH 9.0. This study offered new research insight on the development of novel collectors for hematite flotation through bionics technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation)
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14 pages, 3015 KiB  
Article
Surface Chemistry and Flotation of Gold-Bearing Pyrite
by Seda Özçelik and Zafir Ekmekçi
Minerals 2024, 14(9), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14090914 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1336
Abstract
Gold grains are observed in a variety of forms, such as coarse-liberated native gold grains, and ultra-fine grains associated with sulfide or non-sulfide mineral particles, in the form of solid solution in sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite. In the flotation of gold ores, bulk [...] Read more.
Gold grains are observed in a variety of forms, such as coarse-liberated native gold grains, and ultra-fine grains associated with sulfide or non-sulfide mineral particles, in the form of solid solution in sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite. In the flotation of gold ores, bulk sulfide mineral flotation is generally applied to maximize gold recovery. This approach gives high gold recoveries, but it also causes the recovery of barren sulfide minerals (i.e., sulfide mineral particles with no gold content), which increases concentrate tonnage and transportation costs and reduces the grade sometimes to below the saleable limit (approx. 10 g/t Au). This study addresses the differences between gold-bearing and barren pyrite particles taken from various ore deposits and utilizes these differences for the selective flotation of gold-bearing pyrite. The laboratory scale flotation tests conducted on three pyrite samples having different cyanide soluble gold contents show that a selective separation between gold-bearing pyrite and barren pyrite particles could be achieved under specific flotation conditions. Gold recovery is correlated directly with the cyanide-soluble gold in the ore samples. Electrochemical experiments were conducted to elucidate the differences in surface properties of the two types of pyrite. The barren pyrite particles were more cathodic and prone to cathodic reduction of OH− and depressant ions on the surface, and they could be depressed effectively without significantly affecting the gold-bearing particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation)
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15 pages, 3441 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Effect of Surfactants on the Performance of Apatite Column Flotation
by Thessa F. Mendes, Angelica S. Reis, André C. Silva and Marcos A. S. Barrozo
Minerals 2024, 14(8), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080840 - 20 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1245
Abstract
Given that particle and bubble size, as well as their surface properties, are pivotal in froth flotation, surfactants have been extensively employed due to their impact on bubble size and froth stabilization. This study aimed to investigate the influence of surfactants on the [...] Read more.
Given that particle and bubble size, as well as their surface properties, are pivotal in froth flotation, surfactants have been extensively employed due to their impact on bubble size and froth stabilization. This study aimed to investigate the influence of surfactants on the performance of apatite flotation in column. Three different categories of surfactants were examined: anionic, amphoteric, and nonionic, specifically Lupromin, Genagen, and Triton X-100, respectively. The critical coalescence concentration (CCC) and surface tension of each surfactant were determined. The impact of these surfactants on reducing bubble size was quantified, and their subsequent effects on apatite flotation in a column were assessed. The most favorable flotation response for Genagen was achieved at CCC and pH 11, resulting in the highest apatite recovery and the smallest bubble size. For Triton X-100, the best condition was attained at ¼ CCC and pH 11. However, overall, Lupromin was the surfactant that yielded the best flotation results (at ¼ CCC and pH 11). The superior performance of this anionic surfactant was corroborated by chemical adsorption results, as demonstrated by FTIR analyses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation)
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13 pages, 4244 KiB  
Article
First Principle Study of the Relationship between Electronic Properties and Adsorption Energy: Xanthate Adsorption on Pyrite and Arsenopyrite
by Qiang Cui, Chongjun Liu, Zehui Gao, Tong Lu, Zhiqiang Zhao, Yangge Zhu and Guiye Wu
Minerals 2024, 14(8), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080749 - 25 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 866
Abstract
This study investigates the correlation between the electronic structure of the active sites on mineral surfaces and their adsorption capacity. Density functional theory (DFT) and flotation experiments are employed to examine the bonding behavior and adsorption enthalpy of ethylxanthate on pyrite (1 0 [...] Read more.
This study investigates the correlation between the electronic structure of the active sites on mineral surfaces and their adsorption capacity. Density functional theory (DFT) and flotation experiments are employed to examine the bonding behavior and adsorption enthalpy of ethylxanthate on pyrite (1 0 0) and arsenopyrite (0 0 1) surfaces. The results indicate that ethylxanthate adsorbs more significantly on pyrite than on arsenopyrite. The adsorption is chemical, primarily occurring through the orbitals of sulfur in the ethylxanthate and iron on the mineral surface. Compared to arsenopyrite, the d-band center of the iron atoms on the surface of pyrite is closer to the Fermi level; thus, the adsorption strength of ethylxanthate on the pyrite surface is greater than on arsenopyrite. The d-band centers of pyrite and arsenopyrite exhibit a direct relationship with their adsorption capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry and Reagents in Flotation)
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