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Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy
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Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 May 2020) | Viewed by 53031

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hyunjung Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
Interests: (bio)flotation; colloid chemistry in mineral processing; resources recycling; sustainable process development; fate, transformation, and transport of nanomaterials; extractive metallurgy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hongbo Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Minerals Processing & Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
2. Key Lab of Biohydrometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: bioleaching; mineral processing and extractive metallurgy (resource recovery); solid waste treatment and disposal; mining environment; mineralogy; surface chemistry and electrochemistry
Dr. Sadia Ilyas

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Mineral and Material Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Interests: extractive metallurgy; metal recycling; bio-processing; inorganic chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Mineral processing and extractive metallurgy produce metals for industry, mainly including beneficiation and (bio)hydrometallurgy. Surface reaction plays an important role and is even the determining step during the whole beneficiation and (bio)hydrometallurgy process. This Special Issue will focus on recent advances in the surface chemistry, mainly in (bio)flotation and (bio)hydrometallurgy, including but not limited to topics such as surface characterization of minerals; surface adsorption of chemicals and/or microorganisms; and surface corrosion and/or electrochemistry.

Prof. Dr. Hyunjung Kim
Prof. Dr. Hongbo Zhao
Dr. Sadia Ilyas
Guest Editors

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

  • (bio)flotation
  • (bio)hydrometallurgy
  • surface characterization
  • surface adsorption
  • surface corrosion

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 176 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial on Special Issue “Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy”
by Hyunjung Kim, Hongbo Zhao and Sadia Ilyas
Minerals 2021, 11(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010013 - 25 Dec 2020
Viewed by 1884
Abstract
“Mineral Processing” and “Extractive Metallurgy” are the key operations for the entire mining, metallurgy, and chemical industries [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

12 pages, 4300 KiB  
Article
Arsenic (III) Removal from a High-Concentration Arsenic (III) Solution by Forming Ferric Arsenite on Red Mud Surface
by Dongdong He, Yuming Xiong, Li Wang, Wei Sun, Runqing Liu and Tong Yue
Minerals 2020, 10(7), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10070583 - 28 Jun 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2701
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is considered one of the most serious inorganic pollutants, and the wastewater produced in some smelters contains a high concentration of arsenic. In this paper, we purified the high-concentration arsenic solution with red mud and Fe3+ synergistically. In this system, [...] Read more.
Arsenic (As) is considered one of the most serious inorganic pollutants, and the wastewater produced in some smelters contains a high concentration of arsenic. In this paper, we purified the high-concentration arsenic solution with red mud and Fe3+ synergistically. In this system, arsenite anions reacted with Fe(III) ions to form ferric arsenite, which attached on the surface of red mud particles. The generated red mud/Fe1−x(As)x(OH)3 showed a better sedimentation performance than the pure ferric arsenite, which is beneficial to the separation of arsenic from the solution. The red mud not only served as the carrier, but also as the alkaline agent and adsorbent for arsenic treatment. The effects of red mud dosage, dosing order, pH, and molar ratio of Fe/As on arsenic removal were investigated. The efficiency of arsenic removal increased from a pH of 2 to 6 and reached equilibrium at a pH of 7. At the Fe/As molar ratio of 3, the removal efficiency of arsenic ions with an initial concentration of 500 mg/L reached 98%. In addition, the crystal structure, chemical composition, and morphological properties of red mud and arsenic removal residues (red mud/Fe1−x(As)x(OH)3) were characterized by XRD, XPS, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), SEM-EDS, and Raman spectroscopy to study the mechanism of arsenic removal. The results indicated that most of the arsenic was removed from the solution by forming Fe1−x(As)x(OH)3 precipitates on the red mud surface, while the remaining arsenic was adsorbed by the red mud and ferric hydroxide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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15 pages, 2420 KiB  
Article
Bioinformatics and Transcriptional Study of the Nramp Gene in the Extreme Acidophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Strain DC
by Bo Miao, Li Shen, Xueduan Liu, Weimin Zeng and Xueling Wu
Minerals 2020, 10(6), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10060544 - 16 Jun 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2291
Abstract
The family of Nramp (natural resistance-associated macrophage protein) metal ion transporter functions in diverse organisms from bacteria to humans. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (At. ferrooxidans) is a Gram-negative bacterium that lives at pH 2 in high concentrations of soluble ferrous ion (600 mM). [...] Read more.
The family of Nramp (natural resistance-associated macrophage protein) metal ion transporter functions in diverse organisms from bacteria to humans. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (At. ferrooxidans) is a Gram-negative bacterium that lives at pH 2 in high concentrations of soluble ferrous ion (600 mM). The AFE_2126 protein of At. ferrooxidans of the Dachang Copper Mine (DC) was analyzed by bioinformatics software or online tools, showing that it was highly homologous to the Nramp family, and its subcellular localization was predicted to locate in the cytoplasmic membrane. Transcriptional study revealed that AFE_2126 was expressed by Fe2+-limiting conditions in At. ferrooxidans DC. It can be concluded that the AFE_2126 protein may function in ferrous ion transport into the cells. Based on the ΔpH of the cytoplasmic membrane between the periplasm (pH 3.5) and the cytoplasm (pH 6.5), it can be concluded that Fe2+ is transported in the direction identical to that of the H+ gradient. This study indirectly confirmed that the function of Nramp in At. ferrooxidans DC can transport divalent iron ions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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11 pages, 5687 KiB  
Article
Reexamining the Role of Ammonium Ions in the Sulfidization, Xanthate-Flotation of Malachite
by Ruizeng Liu, Zhicheng Liu, Jianmin Li, Shunfu Ao, Bin Pei, Dianwen Liu and Jialei Li
Minerals 2020, 10(6), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10060537 - 13 Jun 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2011
Abstract
Ammonium ions have positive effects on the sulfidization flotation of malachite; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present work, micro-flotation tests, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and solution [...] Read more.
Ammonium ions have positive effects on the sulfidization flotation of malachite; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present work, micro-flotation tests, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and solution analysis for ammonium nitrogen were carried out. The flotation results showed positive effects of ammonium on the sulfidization flotation of malachite. Macroscopically, the sulfidized malachite produced with ammonium exhibited a darker color than that without ammonium, whereas the opposite appeared to be true for their corresponding residual liquids. FESEM images highlighted the larger particle size and higher converge density of the sulfidization product when the presence of ammonium. Furthermore, XPS results indicated a higher sulfur concentration on malachite surfaces when the presence of ammonium. XRD results showed that Cu31S16 (djurleite) and Cu7S4 (anilite) comprised the sulfidization products, regardless of the presence or absence of ammonium. However, neither EDS nor XPS analysis showed nitrogen on malachite surfaces; moreover, the residual-ratio results for ammonium nitrogen clearly demonstrated that most ammonium continued to be held in solution before and after malachite sulfidization. Based on these findings, we inferred that ammonium ions may mediate the nucleation and growth of sulfidization product during malachite sulfidization, rendering larger sulfidization product particles. The larger size of sulfidization products may result in a darker, stabler and denser sulfidization product coating layer, and then may reduce the generation of colloidal copper sulfide in the residual liquids. Ultimately, ammonium facilitates better performance of sulfidization flotation of malachite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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16 pages, 5397 KiB  
Article
Leaching Kinetics of Weathered Crust Elution-Deposited Rare Earth Ore with Compound Ammonium Carboxylate
by Xiuwei Chai, Guoqing Li, Zhenyue Zhang, Ruan Chi and Zhuo Chen
Minerals 2020, 10(6), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10060516 - 02 Jun 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3031
Abstract
Due to the special properties of the ammonium salts, ammonium acetate and ammonium citrate were used to explore the best leaching conditions of rare earth with compound ammonium carboxylate. This paper explored the influence of the molar ratio, ammonium concentration, experimental temperature, and [...] Read more.
Due to the special properties of the ammonium salts, ammonium acetate and ammonium citrate were used to explore the best leaching conditions of rare earth with compound ammonium carboxylate. This paper explored the influence of the molar ratio, ammonium concentration, experimental temperature, and pH of the compound leaching agents on the leaching efficiency of rare earth and aluminum, and it analyzed the leaching process based on the leaching kinetics, which provides a new method for leaching rare earth from the weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore. The results showed that under the conditions where the molar ratio of ammonium acetate and ammonium citrate was 7:3 and the ammonium concentration was 0.15 mol/L, the leaching efficiency of rare earth was the highest when the pH of leaching agent was 4.0 and the experimental temperature was 313 K. Meanwhile, when CH3COONH4 and (NH4)3Cit were used to leach rare earth ore, the leaching reaction kinetics equation of rare earth and aluminum were obtained. In the temperature range of 283–323 K, the apparent activation energy of rare earth was 14.89 kJ/mol and that of aluminum was 19.17 kJ/mol. The reaction order of rare earth was 0.98 and that of aluminum was 0.79. The results were in accordance with the shrinking core model and indicate that the concentration of the leaching agent had a greater influence on rare earth than aluminum. This process can reduce the use of ammonium salt, and it is of great significance to extract rare earth elements from weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ore and improve the utilization rate of resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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18 pages, 3196 KiB  
Article
A Study of Temperature Effect on the Xanthate’s Performance during Chalcopyrite Flotation
by Dongbo An and Jinhong Zhang
Minerals 2020, 10(5), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10050426 - 10 May 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4618
Abstract
A multi-scale investigation was conducted to study the surface properties of xanthate-absorbed chalcopyrite at elevated temperature to understand the temperature effect on the xanthate’s performance during chalcopyrite flotation. Firstly, a macro-scale study was initiated to investigate the temperature effect on the hydrophobicity of [...] Read more.
A multi-scale investigation was conducted to study the surface properties of xanthate-absorbed chalcopyrite at elevated temperature to understand the temperature effect on the xanthate’s performance during chalcopyrite flotation. Firstly, a macro-scale study was initiated to investigate the temperature effect on the hydrophobicity of mineral surface by means of contact angle measurement, Hallimond tube microflotation and lab flotation tests; secondly, a micro–scale study was conducted to clarify the temperature effect on the adsorption of chemicals on mineral surface employing an atomic force microscope (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). In the experiments, pure chalcopyrite samples were used for contact angle measurement, Hallimond tube microflotation, AFM and FTIR; and copper ore samples (1.51% Cu, 5.88% Fe 0.029% Mo, 5.23% S in weight percentage) were used for lab flotation tests. FTIR spectra and AFM images showed that, when potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) was used as the collector in this study, oily dixanthogen was the main hydrophobic species on the chalcopyrite surface. The morphological change of dixanthogen patches at elevated temperatures has a more significant impact than changes in the amount of adsorption species. Increasing temperature within a certain range is beneficial for the collector’s performance by increasing flotation recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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12 pages, 4459 KiB  
Article
Pore Connectivity and Dewatering Mechanism of Tailings Bed in Raking Deep-Cone Thickener Process
by Xinming Chen, Xiangfei Jin, Huazhe Jiao, Yixuan Yang and Juanhong Liu
Minerals 2020, 10(4), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10040375 - 21 Apr 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 2599
Abstract
Paste and thickened tailings (PTT) technology can improve the utilization and management of tailings from processing plants. The pore size distribution (PSD) and microstructure evolution affected by the rake shear in thickening tailings beds are essential to produce a high-density tailings underflow. Continuous [...] Read more.
Paste and thickened tailings (PTT) technology can improve the utilization and management of tailings from processing plants. The pore size distribution (PSD) and microstructure evolution affected by the rake shear in thickening tailings beds are essential to produce a high-density tailings underflow. Continuous thickening and computed tomography (CT) scanning tests were conducted to study the PSD with and without shear. The pore morphology was studied to reveal the shearing-dewatering performance of the tailings bed. The results show that at a flocculant solution concentration of 0.01 wt % and a feed slurry concentration of 10 wt%, the underflow concentration with and without shear can reach 58.5 wt %and 55.8 wt %, respectively. The CT image reconstruction models demonstrated that the porosity of the sheared tailings bed increased with the bed height. When the bed height increased from 2.5 to 10 cm, the porosity increased from 35.1% to 41.9%, the pore fractal dimension increased from the range 1.8–1.95 to the range 2.1–2.15, and the pore quantity decreased by 21.39%. The average pore volume increased with increasing height by 13.93%, 16.57% and 12.07%. The pore structure became more complex with the bed height, and the connectivity between pores increased to form water-flow channels, which were beneficial to the drainage of sealed water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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13 pages, 3805 KiB  
Article
Improved Understanding of the Sulfidization Mechanism in Amine Flotation of Smithsonite: An XPS, AFM and UV–Vis DRS Study
by Ruizeng Liu, Bin Pei, Zhicheng Liu, Yunwei Wang, Jialei Li and Dianwen Liu
Minerals 2020, 10(4), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10040370 - 20 Apr 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3209
Abstract
Sulfidization is required in the amine flotation of smithsonite; however, the sulfidization mechanism of smithsonite is still not fully understood. In this work, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) were used to characterize sulfidized [...] Read more.
Sulfidization is required in the amine flotation of smithsonite; however, the sulfidization mechanism of smithsonite is still not fully understood. In this work, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) were used to characterize sulfidized and unsulfidized smithsonite. The XPS and UV–vis DRS analyses showed that smithsonite sulfidization is a transformation of ZnCO3 to ZnS on the smithsonite surfaces. However, this transformation is localized, resulting in the coexistence of ZnCO3 and ZnS or in the formation of ZnS island structures on the sulfidized smithsonite surfaces. AFM height imaging showed that sulfidization can substantially change the surface morphology of smithsonite; in addition, AFM phase imaging demonstrated that sulfidization occurs locally on the smithsonite surfaces. Based on our findings, it can be concluded that smithsonite sulfidization is clearly a heterogeneous solid–liquid reaction in which the solid product attaches at the surfaces of unreacted smithsonite. Smithsonite sulfidization involves heterogeneous nucleation and growth of ZnS nuclei. Moreover, the ZnS might nucleate and grow preferentially in the regions with high reactivity, which might account for the formation of ZnS island structures. In addition, sphalerite-structured ZnS is more likely to be the sulfidization product of smithsonite under flotation-relevantconditions, as also demonstrated by the results of our UV–vis DRS analyses. The results of this study can provide deeper insights into the sulfidization mechanism of smithsonite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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21 pages, 8598 KiB  
Article
Mechanism for the Bio-Oxidation and Decomposition of Pentlandite: Implication for Nickel Bioleaching at Elevated pH
by Jianzhi Sun, Jiankang Wen, Biao Wu and Bowei Chen
Minerals 2020, 10(3), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10030289 - 23 Mar 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4248
Abstract
This work investigated the effects of Fe3+, H+ and adsorbed leaching bacteria on the bioleaching of pentlandite. Collectively, an integrated model for the oxidation and decomposition of pentlandite was built to describe the behaviors of different components in a bioleaching [...] Read more.
This work investigated the effects of Fe3+, H+ and adsorbed leaching bacteria on the bioleaching of pentlandite. Collectively, an integrated model for the oxidation and decomposition of pentlandite was built to describe the behaviors of different components in a bioleaching system. Proton ions and ferric ions could promote the break and oxidation of Ni-S and Fe-S bonds. The iron-oxidizing microorganisms could regenerate ferric ions and maintain a high Eh value. The sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms showed significant importance in the oxidation of polysulfide and elemental sulfur. The atoms in pentlandite show different modification pathways during the bioleaching process: iron transformed through a (Ni,Fe)9S8 → Fe2+ → Fe3+ → KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 pathway; nickel experienced a transformation of (Ni,Fe)9S8 → NiS → Ni2+; sulfur modified through the pathway of S2−/S22− → Sn2− → S0 → SO32− → SO42−. During bioleaching, a sulfur-rich layer and jarosite layer formed on the mineral surface, and the rise of pH value accelerated the process. However, no evidence for the inhibition of the layers was shown in the bioleaching of pentlandite at pH 3.00. This study provides a novel method for the extraction of nickel from pentlandite by bioleaching at elevated pH values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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11 pages, 1804 KiB  
Article
Bastnaesite, Barite, and Calcite Flotation Behaviors with Salicylhydroxamic Acid as the Collector
by Wenliang Xiong, Jie Deng, Kaile Zhao, Weiqing Wang, Yanhong Wang and Dezhou Wei
Minerals 2020, 10(3), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10030282 - 20 Mar 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3694
Abstract
The flotation of bastnaesite, as a major mineral source of rare earth elements, attracting much attention in the mineral processing field, is challenging owing to the natural flotability of calcium-bearing minerals. To promote the application of flotation, we systematically investigated the flotation behavior [...] Read more.
The flotation of bastnaesite, as a major mineral source of rare earth elements, attracting much attention in the mineral processing field, is challenging owing to the natural flotability of calcium-bearing minerals. To promote the application of flotation, we systematically investigated the flotation behavior of bastnaesite, barite, and calcite, with salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) as the collector through micro-flotation experiments, zeta-potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, and solution chemistry analyses. Micro-flotation experiments confirm that the flotability of bastnaesite is high at pH 6.5–8.5, while calcite floats at pH 8.0–9.5, and barite has little flotation response. The results of FT-IR, XPS, and zeta-potential measurements indicate that there is chemical adsorption of SHA on the bastnaesite surface, and physical adsorption also occurs. However, as for barite and calcite, there is only physical adsorption of SHA on the surfaces. The solution chemistry results show that SHA anions can interact with RE3+, REOH2+, and RE(OH)2+ on bastnaesite surfaces in aqueous suspensions, resulting in bastnaesite flotation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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13 pages, 4197 KiB  
Article
Effect of Cu2+ on the Activation to Muscovite Using Electrochemical Pretreatment
by Yubin Wang, Yan Wang, Wei Xiao, Yaru Wei and Shuqin Li
Minerals 2020, 10(3), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10030206 - 25 Feb 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2236
Abstract
In this study, electrochemistry pretreatment flotation of muscovite was carried out and the flotation behavior and mechanism of muscovite in the system of sodium oleate and Cu2+ion was characterized by solution pH value detection, solution conductivity detection, zeta potential, infrared spectrum [...] Read more.
In this study, electrochemistry pretreatment flotation of muscovite was carried out and the flotation behavior and mechanism of muscovite in the system of sodium oleate and Cu2+ion was characterized by solution pH value detection, solution conductivity detection, zeta potential, infrared spectrum and the electronic energy spectrum. The results indicated that under the conditions of muscovite mass of 10.00 g, pulp mass concentration of 13.33%, flotation speed of 1750 r/min, sodium oleate concentration of 9.20 × 10−4 mol/L and Cu2+ concentration of 6 × 10−5 mol/L, electrochemical pretreatment of Cu2+ could strengthen the activation of muscovite. Electrochemical pretreatment of Cu2+ solution can inhibit the hydrolysis of copper ions, increase the content of Cu2+ in the solution, strengthen the adsorption of Cu2+ on the muscovite surface, and enhance the electrostatic adsorption of sodium oleate on the muscovite surface, thereby strengthening the physical and chemical adsorption of sodium oleate on the muscovite surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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11 pages, 2930 KiB  
Article
The Performance and Adsorption Mechanism of a Novel Collector, Dodecyl Dimethyl Betaine (BS-12), for the Flotation Separation of Ilmenite and Titanaugite
by Pan Chen, Xujian Chai, Mengjie Tian, Wei Chen, Si Wan, Qingbo Meng, Jihua Zhai and Yude Gao
Minerals 2020, 10(2), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020116 - 29 Jan 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
In this paper, a novel collector, dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS-12), was used in the selective separation of ilmenite from titanaugite. The flotation performance and associated adsorption mechanism were studied by micro-flotation experiments, particle size analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis, and X-ray photoelectron [...] Read more.
In this paper, a novel collector, dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS-12), was used in the selective separation of ilmenite from titanaugite. The flotation performance and associated adsorption mechanism were studied by micro-flotation experiments, particle size analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The micro-flotation results indicated that BS-12 exhibited a stronger collecting ability towards ilmenite than titanaugite within an acidic pH range, and that the recovery of ilmenite was about 50% higher than that of titanaugite under the optimum flotation conditions. Particle size analysis demonstrated that BS-12 could selectively agglomerate ilmenite to a certain extent and then contribute to the flotation difference between ilmenite and titanaugite. FT-IR results showed some characteristic bands of BS-12 on treated ilmenite, and on titanaugite with BS-12. The XPS analysis further confirmed that BS-12 chemisorbed onto ilmenite and titanaugite in a similar way, but the limited active sites on titanaugite in comparison with ilmenite accounted for their differences in flotation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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18 pages, 10176 KiB  
Article
Insight into the Influence of Surface Roughness on the Wettability of Apatite and Dolomite
by Xianchen Wang and Qin Zhang
Minerals 2020, 10(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020114 - 28 Jan 2020
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 6972
Abstract
Surface roughness has an important influence on the wettability of particles. This paper is an innovative exploration to control the surface wettability of apatite and dolomite from the perspective of roughness in the background of phosphate flotation. Roughness characteristics of apatite and dolomite [...] Read more.
Surface roughness has an important influence on the wettability of particles. This paper is an innovative exploration to control the surface wettability of apatite and dolomite from the perspective of roughness in the background of phosphate flotation. Roughness characteristics of apatite and dolomite particles and its effects on wettability were investigated with surface roughness, contact angle measurements, and SEM analysis. The relationship between surface energy and wettability of different roughness surfaces was also discussed. The results indicated that the influence of roughness on apatite and dolomite particles showed the same regularity, and wettability increased with the increasing roughness for hydrophilic surfaces, while the wettability decreased for hydrophobic surfaces. The influence of roughness on wettability can be well explained by Wenzel and Cassie models, and the surface energy of different rough surfaces had a strong correlation with their wettability. When sodium oleate was added after acid treatment, the apatite was hydrophilic, while the dolomite was hydrophobic; the difference in wettability between them became greater as surface roughness increased. Thus, it can be predicted that the selective separation of dolomite and apatite under acid reverse flotation conditions can be strengthened by increasing the mineral surface roughness during comminution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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16 pages, 3767 KiB  
Article
Utilization of Sodium Hexametaphosphate for Separating Scheelite from Calcite and Fluorite Using an Anionic–Nonionic Collector
by Jianhua Kang, Yuehua Hu, Wei Sun, Zhiyong Gao and Runqing Liu
Minerals 2019, 9(11), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/min9110705 - 14 Nov 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4039
Abstract
This study presents a highly selective reagent system that utilizes sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) to improve the separation of scheelite from calcite and fluorite using an anionic–nonionic collector. The recoveries of calcite and fluorite decreased to 20% as the SHMP dose exceeded 6 × [...] Read more.
This study presents a highly selective reagent system that utilizes sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) to improve the separation of scheelite from calcite and fluorite using an anionic–nonionic collector. The recoveries of calcite and fluorite decreased to 20% as the SHMP dose exceeded 6 × 10−6 mol/L, whereas that of scheelite remained at 85%. The interaction mechanisms of minerals with SHMP were investigated through equilibrium speciation, Zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. SHMP exists as hydrogen phosphate anion in the aqueous solution with a pH of 7–12. Moreover, it may be adsorbed intensively on the positively charged surfaces of calcite and fluorite via electrostatic force or chelation with calcium ion to impede further adsorption of the assembled collector. By comparison, the adsorption of SHMP is feeble on the scheelite surface because of its negative charge. The roughing grade of low-grade scheelite ore is substantially improved from 0.74% to 1.65% compared with that in the contrast test in the absence of SHMP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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16 pages, 5417 KiB  
Article
The Contribution of Long-Terms Static Interactions Between Minerals and Flotation Reagents for the Separation of Fluorite and Calcite
by Leiming Huang, Qiang Zeng, Liang Hu, Yuehua Hu, Hui Zhong and Zhiguo He
Minerals 2019, 9(11), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/min9110699 - 12 Nov 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2373
Abstract
The influences of long-term static interaction between flotation reagents and minerals on mineral surface properties and their flotation behaviors were investigated in this work. Single mineral results showed that when the static interaction time between flotation reagents and minerals increased from 0 to [...] Read more.
The influences of long-term static interaction between flotation reagents and minerals on mineral surface properties and their flotation behaviors were investigated in this work. Single mineral results showed that when the static interaction time between flotation reagents and minerals increased from 0 to 8 days, there were no significant differences in the recovery of fluorite (ranging from 77.50% to 74.50%), while the recovery of calcite dramatically decreased from 97.17% to 41.13%. The collector adsorption results indicated that after the long-term static interaction between the collector and minerals, adsorption and desorption of collector on the minerals occurred, and the adsorption amount of collector on fluorite and calcite varied from 0.396 mg/g to 0.421 mg/g, and from 0.444 mg/g to 0.404 mg/g, respectively. The contact angles of fluorite and calcite decreased from 134.3° and 105.0° for 0 days to 109.7° and 52.5° for 8 days, respectively, which demonstrated that the fluorite had a higher hydrophobicity than that of calcite after 8 days of static interaction between the minerals and collector. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed that there were chemisorptions between the collector and the surfaces of the fluorite and calcite. Meanwhile, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results further elucidated that the amount of C=O from the oleic acid (OA) molecule for calcite treated for 8 days was less than for that treated for 0 days. In addition, the flotation results of the tailings from Jiangxi containing fluorite and calcite, indicated that the grade and recovery of fluorite increased from 87.18% and 40.99% for 0 days to 93.00% and 46.01% for 8 days, respectively, indicating that the separation of fluorite from calcite could be achieved via increasing the long-term static interaction between the flotation reagents and minerals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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9 pages, 1472 KiB  
Technical Note
The Potential Role of Colloidal Silica as a Depressant in Scheelite Flotation
by Nathalie Kupka, Bent Babel and Martin Rudolph
Minerals 2020, 10(2), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10020144 - 07 Feb 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3088
Abstract
The main challenge in scheelite flotation lies in the contamination of the concentrate by other calcium-bearing minerals, mainly calcite. To remedy this problem, sodium silicate is frequently used as a depressant. According to the literature, one hypothesis for the mechanism of water glass [...] Read more.
The main challenge in scheelite flotation lies in the contamination of the concentrate by other calcium-bearing minerals, mainly calcite. To remedy this problem, sodium silicate is frequently used as a depressant. According to the literature, one hypothesis for the mechanism of water glass consists in its absorption onto calcite through colloidal silica formation, preventing hydrophobization by the collector. This short communication presents research conducted on the direct use of colloidal silica as a depressant in scheelite flotation. Colloidal silica is shown to have an impact on scheelite flotation, especially by depressing silicates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Chemistry in Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy)
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