A Review of the Mineral Contact Angle Measurements and Applications in the Froth Flotation Process: Techniques and Influential Parameters, Part I

Abstract

ABSTRACT The contact angle (CA), which results from the wetting behavior of the surfaces, will be substantial parameter in both the initial stages and in the industrial applications. Froth flotation is one of the most used separation methods in the mineral processing sector attributable to the necessity and usage of CA in surface wetting behavior, particularly in the case of minerals, and its capability to describe the conduct of flotation (collision, attachment, and detachment to the air bubble) is the main aim of this study. The CA measurement technique, the wetting properties of mineral surfaces, the variables influencing CA measurements, and their implications for the flotation process are all gathered in two-part review article. The current review for the initial-time examines multiple methods and approaches which employed in both historical and existing flotation research to investigate the literature on the foundation of CA of various minerals as function of the approach used for CA assessment. It provides an in-depth analysis of questions relating to the determination of CA on real surfaces or powder materials including the evaluation of the impact of the surface heterogeneity, particle fraction size and shape, roughness, and the drop/bubble size with ultimately intended to determine whether any of these variables essentially influence the hydrophobicity of minerals surface as well as its relationship to flotation recovery. This information may at that point be consolidated into a flotation demonstrate or utilized to assess the practicality of progressing flotation productivity and offer assistance to more understanding around this process. There are many articles in the field of CA in different sciences, but in the perspective of the CA of minerals or flotation, this number is also less, but in the case of review articles, this number is also very limited. There are few review articles that are about Effective methods and parameters have been discussed separately, but not many articles have been written about methods, parameters, summary of relationships, and at the end, to collect measurements with the mentioned methods. This article was written with this purpose beside of flotation aspects.