Design and synthesis of novel polyamine collector to recover iron values from iron ore slimes

Emerging Trends of Computational Chemistry and Molecular Modeling in Froth Flotation: A Review

Froth flotation is the most versatile process in mineral beneficiation, extensively used to concentrate a wide range of minerals. This process comprises mixtures of more or less liberated minerals, water, air, and various chemical reagents, involving a series of intermingled multiphase physical and chemical phenomena in the aqueous environment. Today's main challenge facing the froth flotation process is to gain atomic-level insights into the properties of its inherent phenomena governing the process performance. While it is often challenging to determine these phenomena via trial-and-error experimentations, molecular modeling approaches not only elicit a deeper understanding of froth flotation but can also assist experimental studies in saving time and budget. Thanks to the rapid development of computer science and advances in high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructures, theoretical/computational chemistry has now matured enough to successfully and gainfully apply to tackle the challenges of complex systems. In mineral processing, however, advanced applications of computational chemistry are increasingly gaining ground and demonstrating merit in addressing these challenges. Accordingly, this contribution aims to encourage mineral scientists, especially those interested in rational reagent design, to become familiarized with the necessary concepts of molecular modeling and to apply similar strategies when studying and tailoring properties at the molecular level. This review also strives to deliver the state-of-the-art integration and application of molecular modeling in froth flotation studies to assist either active researchers in this field to disclose new directions for future research or newcomers to the field to initiate innovative works.

Substituent Effects in Kaolinite Flotation Using Dodecylamine: Experiment and DFT Study

The molecular structure of cationic surfactants is closely related to their flotation performance. In this paper, three cationic surfactants with different head group structures were selected as collectors of kaolinite, and the substituent effects were studied by the DFT method. The DFT calculation results showed that increasing the number of substituents in the dodecylamine head group can significantly increase its surface and head group charge. Dodecylamine has the lowest LUMO orbital energy, so dodecylamine has the strongest electron attraction ability and the strongest interaction with kaolinite. Electron density differential showed that there was an area of electron aggregation between the collector and the surface of the kaolinite. The interaction energy of DDA on kaolinite surfaces was greater than that of the other two collectors, indicating that the adsorption of DDA on the surface of kaolinite was more stable. Flotation results showed that higher a kaolinite yield was obtained in the presence of dodecyl dihydroxyethyl methyl ammonium chloride. The calculated results of the solvent-accessible surfaces, the head group charge, and the number of bonds between the collector and the kaolinite show good consistency with the actual flotation results of the three collectors, which can be used as a screening index for kaolinite flotation collectors.