Evaluation of a novel morpholine-typed Gemini surfactant as the collector for the reverse flotation separation of halite from carnallite ore

A novel approach for harvesting the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris with sodium alginate microspheres using buoy-bead flotation method

In order to reduce the residue of buoy-beads and solve the problem of pollution caused by high flocculant consumption, SAMs¹(sodium alginate microspheres) with sodium alginate were used as the raw material to harvest microalgae for the first time. In addition, during the manufacturing of SAMs, the re-frying oil was used as the dispersion system, which not only reduced the cost, but also provided new ideas for the treatment of re-frying oil. Response surface methodology was used to explore the influence of different factors and the interaction of variables, and the harvesting process was optimized using the multi-objective optimization. Based upon the calculation of XDLVO (extended Derjaguin-Laudau-Verwey-Overbeek) theory and the characterization of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, the harvesting mechanism of buoy-bead flotation method was clarified. The results showed that the combination of SAMs and a small amount of aluminum sulfate could replace air flotation and traditional buoy-bead flotation with solid particles as buoy-beads to harvest C. vulgaris (Chlorella vulgaris). For the multi-objective optimization with harvesting efficiency as the priority, the predicted pH, the concentrations of aluminum sulfate and buoy-beads and the dilution factor had values of 8.25, 56.09 mg/L, 17.46 mL/L, and 2.15, respectively. In the validation experiment, the harvesting efficiency and the enrichment ratio of C. vulgaris could reach the values of 97.51 % and 1.97 %, respectively. For the validation experiment of reverse optimization with focusing on enrichment ratio, the harvesting efficiency and the enrichment ratio of C. vulgaris had the values of 93.78 % and 2.65 %, respectively. The essence of improving the harvesting mechanism was the combination of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups between C. vulgaris and SAMs and the adsorption of positive ions by specific proteins on the surface of C. vulgaris to reduce electrostatic repulsion.

Heterogeneous Fenton degradation of persistent organic pollutants using natural chalcopyrite: effect of water matrix and catalytic mechanism

Natural chalcopyrite was evaluated as heterogeneous Fenton catalyst. Catalytic performance was evaluated considering different systems, catalyst dosage, H2O2 concentration, and reaction temperature, and increasing the parameters favors rhodamine B degradation. Effect of aqueous matrix was systematically examined, involving solution pH, anions, cations, dissolved organic matter, and initial pollutant concentration. The degradation performance is slightly influenced by these parameters. Rhodamine B removal is 96.5% within 120 min, the rate constant ranges from 0.0086 min-1 to 0.0415 min-1 depending on temperature, and the activation energy is 79 kJ/mol. Effective degradation of different persistent organic pollutants including methylene blue, malachite green, sodium butyl xanthate, tetracycline, and p-nitrophenol is verified by UV-vis spectra. Natural chalcopyrite was characterized by advanced techniques including scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Reactions between chalcopyrite and H2O2 cause copper leaching and iron oxidation. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance reveal the dominant role of hydroxyl radical in catalytic process. The catalytic mechanism induced by surface iron and leached copper derived from chalcopyrite is proposed.

Flotation surface chemistry of water-soluble salt minerals: from experimental results to new perspectives

The flotation separation of water-soluble salt minerals has to be conducted under the condition of saturation in brines which represents a challenging but exciting topic of colloid and surface chemistry. Despite several proposals on explaining the success of this industrial application for many decades, our understanding of the flotation separation is still far from complete yet, owing to the complexity of the highly selective collection of salt crystals by air bubbles in brines. Here, we thoroughly review the experimental results for halogen, oxyanion, and double salts and match them with the proposed theories on the flotation of soluble salts to identify the agreed and disagreed cases. The experimental results show that the flotation of these salts varies from collectors (surfactants applied to control the crystal hydrophobicity) to collectors and is strongly affected by the brine ion composition and pH conditions. We find some exceptional flotation results that cannot be simply explained by the crystal surface charge and wettability. Furthermore, we outline several disputes and discrepancies between the experiments and the theories when different collectors are applied. Apart from the extensive consideration of surface hydration, the presence of external ion species exhibits ubiquitous effects on the surface properties of salt crystals and the colloidal properties of collectors. We conclude that the interactions between salt ions, water molecules, collectors, and salt crystals must be considered more thoroughly, and the activity of collectors at the air-liquid interface should also be the focus. Advanced techniques such as molecular dynamics simulation, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and sum-frequency generation spectroscopy are expected to be promising research tools for future studies.

Recovery of wolframite from tungsten mine tailings by the combination of shaking table and flotation with a novel "crab" structure sebacoyl hydroxamic acid

Tailings ponds for gangue mineral storage are widely recognized as a dangerous source of toxic minerals and heavy metal-bearing solution. Therefore, recovering valuable minerals and critical elements from tailings is an important means to protect the environment in an economic way. Wolframite tailings usually contain a considerable amount of tungsten resources, but the presence of high content of kaolinite sludge makes it very difficult to recycle wolframite. Herein, a novel sebacoyl hydroxamic acid (SHA) was synthesized and introduced as a novel wolframite collector to effectively utilize wolframite tailings, and its collection performance was compared with that of benzohydroxamic acid (BHA). Micro-flotation tests showed that SHA could still obtain 80% wolframite recovery in the presence of kaolinite slimes. Bench-scale flotation tests indicated that SHA can effectively recover wolframite concentrate with 55.64% WO₃ grade and 75.28% WO₃ recovery from wolframite tailings by the combined shaking table-flotation process. Polarized light microscope observations showed that SHA could promote the formation of hydrophobic agglomerates of wolframite particles. These results show that SHA can be used as an efficient collector for disposing of wolframite tailings, and provide an important reference for the development of efficient and comprehensive utilization of tailings.

Adsorption of Trisiloxane Surfactant for Selective Flotation of Scheelite from Calcite at Room Temperature

The separation and enrichment of scheelite from calcite are hindered by the similar active Ca²⁺ sites of scheelite and the calcite with calciferous gangue. Herein, a novel trisiloxane surfactant, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrisiloxane (AATS), was first explored and synthesized and recommended as the collector for the flotation separation of scheelite from calcite. The micro-flotation and mixed binary mineral flotation tests showed that AATS had excellent collection performance for scheelite and high selectivity for calcite within a wide pH range. At the same time, contact angle and zeta-potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the relevant adsorption mechanism. The contact angle measurement showed that AATS can increase the contact angle of the scheelite surface from 41.7 to 95.8°, greatly enhancing the hydrophobicity of the mineral surface. The results of FTIR analysis and zeta-potential measurement explained that AATS was electrostatically adsorbed on the mineral surface, and DFT calculation further verified that the -N⁺H₃-positive group in AATS was adsorbed on the negatively charged scheelite surface. Therefore, AATS can realize the expectation of high efficiency and selectivity of minerals and enhance the adhesion between the surface of scheelite minerals and bubbles, providing a fresh approach to industrial production.

Iron ore production using a new Gemini surfactant at 273 K

Herein we present the use of a Gemini surfactant and reverse froth flotation to efficiently separate magnetite from quartz and produce iron ore at 273 K. This surfactant achieved an obviously superior flotation performance (TFe recovery increased by 48.18%), and the dosage of the Gemini surfactant was three times less than that of a conventional monomeric surfactant. Our findings are expected to serve as a general guide to design a new and excellent collector for high-efficiency mineral flotation and to lead to an efficient and clean development of mineral resources.

Effect of dextrin on flotation separation and surface properties of chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite

The flotation separation and mechanism of dextrin on chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite surface were investigated using micro-flotation tests, zeta potential measurements, infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurement and surface adsorption experiments. The micro-flotation test showed that dextrin had obvious inhibitory effect on arsenopyrite flotation, but had no inhibitory effect on chalcopyrite flotation. After treating the surface of arsenopyrite with dextrin, the infrared spectra showed that new characteristic peaks, indicating that chemical adsorption and significant interaction between dextrin and arsenopyrite particles. Zeta potential measurements, contact angle measurement and surface adsorption experiments showed that the selective adsorption of dextrin added a large number of hydrophilic groups to the surface of arsenopyrite, but had little effect on chalcopyrite. In addition, the macromolecular chain structure of dextrin may hinder the attachment of collector molecules to arsenopyrite. The combined effect of these two aspects makes the arsenopyrite treated with dextrin lose its hydrophobicity and enables the separation of chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite.

"Umbrella" Structure Trisiloxane Surfactant: Synthesis and Application for Reverse Flotation of Phosphorite Ore in Phosphate Fertilizer Production

Phosphorite is generally used in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer and plays a vital role in the development of agricultural and food production. Nonetheless, how to obtain phosphorite concentrates efficiently and sustainably has become an urgent problem. In this study, a newly designed trisiloxane surfactant, N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrisiloxane (AATS), has been prepared and utilized as an emerging collector for reverse flotation of phosphorite ore. Its collecting ability was compared with the conventional surfactant 1-dodecamine (DDA). In the collector concentration tests, AATS with lower concentrations showed stronger collecting ability for quartz. In the pH tests, AATS always performed better than DDA in the acidic or alkaline condition. In bench-scale flotation experiments, the P₂O₅ recovery of phosphorite concentrates with 150 g/t AATS was 10.77% higher than that with 300 g/t DDA, which proved that AATS can be applied to the sustainable production of phosphorite concentrates. For a 4000 t/d phosphorite ore processing plant, the profit could be increased 7,014,702.07 USD every year by using AATS as the collector. Therefore, this work provides a promising approach to enhance the production efficiency of phosphate fertilizer and to promote the sustainable development of agriculture.