Abstract
Froth flotation has been widely used in upgrading iron ores. Iron ore flotation can be performed in two technical routes: direct flotation of iron oxides and reverse flotation of gangue minerals with depression of iron oxides. Nowadays, reverse flotation is the most commonly used route in iron ore flotation. This review is focused on the reverse flotation of iron ores, consisting of reverse cationic flotation and reverse anionic flotation. It covers different types of collecting agents used in reverse iron ore flotation, the surface characteristics of minerals commonly present in iron ores (e.g., iron oxides, quartz, alumina-bearing minerals, phosphorus-bearing minerals, iron-bearing carbonates, and iron-bearing silicates), and the adsorption mechanisms of the collecting agents at the mineral surface. The implications of collecting agent–mineral interactions for improving iron ore flotation are discussed.
Highlights
Steel is an indispensable material for the construction industry, shipbuilding, railway construction, motor vehicle manufacture, bridge building, machinery manufacture, and many other engineering applications
They noted that the electrostatic adsorption may not fully account for the flotation phenomena; flotation of apatite below its isoelectric point (IEP) with octadecylamine was attributed to the chemical interaction between the collector and the mineral surface and, above its IEP, the collector would be adsorbed on the negatively charged apatite surface through electrostatic attraction
Reverse cationic and anionic flotation routes are currently used in the iron ore beneficiation industry
Summary
Steel is an indispensable material for the construction industry, shipbuilding, railway construction, motor vehicle manufacture, bridge building, machinery manufacture, and many other engineering applications. Apart from using a cationic or an anionic collector alone, the use of reagent mixtures has been increasingly popular in the reverse iron ore flotation practice. The performance of the reverse flotation of iron ores is largely governed by the interactions between collectors and minerals, which are complex. These non-quartz gangue minerals include alumina-containing minerals, phosphorus-containing minerals, iron-bearing carbonates, and iron-bearing silicates The presence of these gangue minerals complicates the flotation system, and imposes a detrimental effect on downstream steel-making processes. There are still no reviews dedicated to the interactions between collectors and minerals in different iron ore flotation routes. The present work reviewed the interactions between quartz to non-quartz gangue minerals and collectors, aiming at facilitating the process of complex iron ores.
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