Correlation of Flocculation and Agglomeration of Dolomite with its Wettability

Abstract

Wettability is an important parameter which affects the shear flocculation and oil agglomeration behaviors of minerals. The critical surface tension of wetting (γc) as a wettability parameter describes wetting characteristics of any mineral. In this study, the correlation of shear flocculation and oil agglomeration processes of dolomite with its wettability parameter is investigated. The experimental studies have indicated that these processes improved with decreasing wettability depending on the increase of oleate adsorption despite a simultaneous increase in the zeta potential of dolomite. On the other hand, the flocculation and agglomeration of dolomite decreased with decreasing surface tension and did not occur below a particular value of surface tension, corresponding to the critical surface tension of wetting (γc) and the critical solution surface tension (γc-a) values, respectively. Also, the γc-a values are slightly higher than the γc values, indicating that the agglomeration of the particles requires a lower wettability.