Abstract
The flotation behaviors of diatomite and albite using dodecylamine (DDA) as a collector were investigated and compared. The pure mineral flotation results indicate that the flotability difference between albite and diatomite is above 87% at pH 5.5 to 10.5. The recovery of albite improves with increasing DDA dosage at pH 5.5 to 10.5. In the same pH range, diatomite has weaker flotability than albite, particularly in alkaline pH pulp. Zeta potential measurements indicate that diatomite has a higher negative surface charge than albite at pH 7 to 12, DDA interacts strongly with albite and weakly with diatomite. Thus, DDA preferentially absorbs on albite surface rather than diatomite under alkaline conditions. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) indicate that the amount of DDA adsorbed to albite is greater than that adsorbed to diatomite, under the same conditions. The adsorption of DDA on the surface of diatomite is investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the first time. The adsorption of the collector DDA on the surface of albite per unit area is greater than that on diatomite. This accounts for the lower recovery of diatomite than that of albite.
Highlights
Diatomite is a sedimentary rock primarily composed of the skeletons of microscopic single-celled aquatic plants called diatoms
The current study investigates the flotation [23,24] behavior of pure diatomite and albite that are often present in low-grade diatomite
The results show that the adsorption capacity of DDA on per unit area of diatomite is less than that on albite
Summary
Diatomite is a sedimentary rock primarily composed of the skeletons of microscopic single-celled aquatic plants called diatoms. Diatomite has a chemical formula of SiO2 ·nH2 O (i.e., amorphous silica) [1,2]. The genesis of diatomite provides it with useful characteristics such as high porosity, large pore volume, high adsorption capacity, and low weight [3]. These characteristics make it useful in filtration materials, catalyst carriers, insulation materials, functional fillers, and cement mixtures [4,5,6]. Local resources and economic development differ between countries, so their consumption and application of diatomite differ. The diatomite is widely applied as a carrier, adsorbent, and filter aid with high added value
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