Effects of Collector Ion Concentrations and Hydrogen Ion Concentrations on the Floatability of Non-Sulphide Minerals

Abstract

The floatability of non-sulphide minerals such as quartz, hematite, barite, calcite, scheelite and wolframite was measured in various collector concentrations with various pH values by using dodecyl ammonium acetate, sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate, and sodium oleate as collectors. From experimental results, it was recognized that the floatability of non-sulphide minerals correlates with the ratio of the concentration of the collector ion to that of hydrogen ion or hydroxyl ion in the solution. The relationships, [R+]/[H+]a=K with the cationic collector and [R"]/[OH"]a=K with the anionic collector, were obtained under critical flotation conditions. Next, the relationships above mentioned were derived from theoretical considerations of the competitive adsorption of collector cations and hydrogen ions or collector anions and hydroxyl ions onto a mineral surface and the significance of the two constants, a and K, in the above relationships was confirmed.