Abstract
Metal ions are widely present in flotation pulp. Metal ions change solution chemistry and mineral surface properties, consequently affecting mineral flotation. In this work, the effect of strontium ions on bastnaesite flotation with salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) was investigated by microflotation tests, contact angle measurements, zeta-potential measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Microflotation tests confirmed that the addition of strontium ions decreased bastnaesite floatability, compared with that in the absence of strontium ions. Contact angle measurements suggested that the pretreatment of strontium ions decreased SHA adsorption. Zeta potential measurements confirmed that the bastnaesite was depressed by the adsorption of positively charged strontium species, and the lower adsorption capacity of SHA onto the bastnaesite surfaces was obtained after modifying with strontium ions. XPS analysis demonstrated that strontium ions adsorbed onto the bastnaesite surfaces through the interaction between strontium ions and oxygen atoms of surface ≡ CeOH 0 groups. This occurrence hindered surface Ce sites which chelated with SHA and therefore, decreased bastnaesite floatability.
Highlights
The special electron structure of rare earth elements (REE) leads to their unique fluorescent and chemical properties; REE play an irreplaceable role in many fields [1]
The present work examined the effect of strontium ions on bastnaesite flotation with salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) as the
The present work examined the effect of strontium ions on bastnaesite flotation with SHA as the collector
Summary
The special electron structure of rare earth elements (REE) leads to their unique fluorescent and chemical properties; REE play an irreplaceable role in many fields [1]. The demand for rare earth elements has increased continuously in recent years, which requires higher recovery efficiency of rare earth ores. Froth flotation is an effective method for separating bastnaesite from gangue minerals [1,3] and has received increasing attention in recent years. Hydroxamic acid is a widely used collector in bastnaesite flotation [4,5,6,7]. Compared with fatty acid collectors, hydroxamic acid collectors have the advantage of better selectivity between bastnaesite and alkaline minerals [8], because the specificity of the hydroxamic acid functional group for rare earth cations is higher than alkaline earth cations [6,9]. The adsorption of hydroxamic acid collectors on bastnaesite surfaces is attributed to chelation with surface REE [10]. The adsorption mechanism of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) on bastnaesite surfaces
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