Flotation Behavior of Malachite Using Hydrophobic Talc Nanoparticles as Collectors

Junhyun Choi,Joobeom Seo,Sang Bae Kim,Wantae Kim

doi:10.3390/min10090756

Junhyun Choi, Joobeom Seo + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/min10090756

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Journal: Minerals	Publication Date: Aug 27, 2020
Citations: 6	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources

Abstract

In this study, the flotation behavior of malachite was investigated using hydrophobic talc nanoparticles (TNs) as collectors. To improve the floatability of TN-deposited malachite, various experimental parameters were systematically investigated. We found that the floatability sharply increased as the size of the TNs decreased. The floatability of malachite was enhanced in the presence of smaller TNs, since higher amounts of smaller TNs were deposited on the surface of the malachite, thus rendering the surface more hydrophobic. Moreover, the floatability of the TN-deposited malachite increased as the pH decreased, likely due to the more favorable interaction between TNs and malachite by means of electrostatic attraction. Furthermore, the floatability became more enhanced as the TN concentration increased, likely associated with increases in the amount of TNs deposited on the surface of the malachite, thus enhancing the floatability by altering the hydrophobicity of the surface. Our findings suggest that the application of natural hydrophobic TNs as collectors in malachite flotation should be introduced as a new concept.

Highlights

Due to its high separation performance, low capital expenditure, and operating cost, flotation is one of the most widely used techniques to recover useful resources in mineral processing
The most commonly used flotation process for Cu oxides is still sulphidizing the surface of oxide minerals in advance, followed by flotation using sulfhydryl collectors such as xanthate, because this process is well known to be effective with respective to the selectivity of Cu-bearing minerals [1,2,3,4]
The malachite was positively charged at pH 6, whereas the talc nanoparticles (TNs) were negatively charged at this malachite was positively charged at pH 6, whereas the TNs were negatively charged at this pH

Summary

Introduction

Due to its high separation performance, low capital expenditure, and operating cost, flotation is one of the most widely used techniques to recover useful resources in mineral processing. The most commonly used flotation process for Cu oxides is still sulphidizing the surface of oxide minerals in advance, followed by flotation using sulfhydryl collectors such as xanthate, because this process is well known to be effective with respective to the selectivity of Cu-bearing minerals [1,2,3,4]. This method has critical disadvantages; sulphidization and sulfhydryl reagents are rather toxic and are not environmentally friendly [5,6]. New alternative flotation methods are required to expand knowledge and to develop flotation technology to recover Cu oxide minerals.

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