Abstract
The phosphate ore flotation slurry process requires the addition of H2SO4 as a pH adjuster; this can cause the Ca2+ on the mineral surface to dissolve and combine with SO42− to form CaSO4, thereby changing the surface properties of dolomite. In this study, the effects of Ca2+ dissolution and CaSO4 upon the surface properties of dolomite in a phosphate ore flotation slurry system were investigated. The results show that under the same conditions and different pH adjusters, the dissolution of Ca2+ in the phosphate ore slurry varies in the order H2SO4 > HNO3 > HCl, increasing and then decreasing with increasing slurry preparation time. Under the same conditions, the maximum Ca2+ concentrations in fluorapatite, dolomite, and calcite slurry were 0.036, 0.020, and 0.037 mol/L, respectively. Surface tension and contact angle experiments showed that Ca2+ increases the surface tension of the sodium oleate (C18H33NaO2) solution, which hinders foaming. CaSO4 decreases the contact angle of the dolomite surface. Solution chemistry calculations, zeta potential measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis show that the dissolved Ca2+ partly produces adsorbed CaSO4 on the dolomite surface, and the Ca2+ reacts with oleate to form calcium oleate; both methods together inhibit the hydrophobicity of the dolomite surface.
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