Selective flotation of phosphates from dolomite using cationic collectors. I. Effect of collector and nonpolar hydrocarbons

Abstract

The flotation behavior of francolite and dolomite with a variety of cationic collectors was studied. Only primary amines were found to be strong collectors of the phosphate mineral. Dolomite was also floatable with primary amines, but from a mixture of francolite and dolomite, the primary amines were uniquely selective towards the phosphate mineral. Adsorption studies carried out with individual minerals showed that the collector was strongly adsorbed on both dolomite and francolite. However, in a phosphate ore, primary amines were adsorbed mainly on the phosphate, indicating that a stronger interaction existed between the amine and francolite than between the amine and dolomite. The use of hydrocarbon oils was beneficial not only in reducing the collector requirements, but also in accelerating the flotation rates.