Investigations on selective flotation separation of quartz from hematite using novel solubility amine as collector: experimental and simulation

Abstract

Traditional cationic collectors usually have some disadvantages, such as poor selectivity and limited water solubility, which negatively impact flotation efficiency. Thus, a novel cationic collector, 2-(dodecylamino)-2-methyl-1-propanol (DAMP) was developed to enhance the separation efficiency of hematite and quartz. The flotation behavior of DAMP was systematically investigated, and the results indicated that DAMP had good flotation performance and excellent selectivity. Optimal flotation separation of mixed hematite and quartz achieved a concentrate with a TFe grade of 67.79 % and a recovery rate of 91.26 % at a pulp pH of 7.34, using 4.0 mg/L starch and 20.0 mg/L DAMP. Furthermore, the interaction mechanisms between DAMP and the minerals were explored using zeta potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The findings confirmed that DAMP exhibited superior selectivity compared to DDA, and the adsorption of DAMP on minerals occurred through electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonding interactions.