Critical oil–liquid interfacial tension for some oil-assisted fine particle processing methods

Abstract

This paper presents that oil–liquid interfacial tension (γOL) value significantly affects the oil agglomeration and liquid–liquid extraction processes as oil-assisted methods in fine particle processing. The decrease in the oil–liquid interfacial tension leads to the decreases in the recoveries of minerals in both oil agglomeration and liquid–liquid extraction techniques. Eventually, these oil-assisted methods do not take place below a particular value of oil–liquid interfacial tension. The oil–liquid interfacial tension value at which oil agglomeration does not occur was defined as ‘critical oil–liquid interfacial tension for oil agglomeration, γc–OL–a’ and at which liquid–liquid extraction does not take place was also defined as ‘critical oil–liquid interfacial tension for liquid–liquid extraction, γc–OL–e’. Consequently, the oil–liquid interfacial tension of the medium for successful processes of oil agglomeration and liquid–liquid extraction of a mineral must be higher than the related critical interfacial tension value.