Search

In this study, citric acid was used as a dispersant to improve the flotation performance of hematite fines. The effect and mechanism of citric acid on the reverse flotation of hematite fines were investigated by flotation tests, sedimentation experiments, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta-potential measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of SEM analysis and flotation tests reveal that a strong heterocoagulation in the form of slime coating or coagulation in hematite fine slurry affects the beneficiation of hematite ores by froth flotation. The addition of a small amount of citric acid (less than 300 g/t) favorably affects the reverse flotation of hematite fines by improving particle dispersion. The results of sedimentation experiments, zeta-potential measurements, and XPS measurements demonstrate that citric acid adsorbs onto hematite and quartz surfaces via hydrogen bonding, thereby reducing the zeta potentials of mineral surfaces, strengthening the electrical double-layer repulsion between mineral particles, and dispersing the pulp particles.

The effect of dolomite with different particle size fractions on hematite flotation was studied using sodium oleate as collector at pH of about 9. The effect mechanism of dolomite on hematite flotation was investigated by means of solution chemistry, ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is observed that dolomite with different size fractions has depressing effect on hematite flotation using sodium oleate as collector, and dolomite could be the “mineral depressant” of hematite using sodium oleate as collector. The reasons for that are concerned with sodium oleate consumption and the adsorption onto hematite of dissolved species of dolomite.

Reverse flotation technology is one of the most efficient ways to improve the quality and reduce impurity of iron concentrate. Mineral processors dealing with hematite face a challenge that the flotation results of reverse flotation of hematite are poor in presence of siderite using fatty acid as collector, starch as depressant of iron minerals and calcium ion as activator of quartz at strong alkaline pH. In this work, the effect of siderite on reverse anionic flotation of quartz from hematite was investigated. The effect mechanism of siderite on reverse flotation of hematite was studied by solution chemistry, ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was observed that siderite had strong depressive effect on quartz in flotation using sodium oleate as collector, corn starch as depressant of iron minerals and calcium chloride as activator of quartz at strong alkaline pH. The starch was adsorbed onto calcium carbonate by chemical reaction which was formed by CO32- from siderite dissolution and Ca2+ from calcium chloride as activator of quartz and precipitated on the surface of quartz, which resulted in improving the hydrophilic ability of quartz.