Selectively separating scheelite from fluorite by using Nitrilotri(methylphosphonic acid) as an efficiency depressant to modify the surface properties of fluorite

Abstract

Owing to the similar surface properties of scheelite and fluorite, the separation of them is very difficult by only using the traditional collectors of fatty acids. In this study, Nitrilotri(methylphosphonic acid) (ATMP) was used as a depressant to realize the efficient separation of these two minerals. The separation performance and the adsorption mechanism of ATMP on scheelite and fluorite were explored by the flotation experiments and surface analyses. Flotation results indicated that ATMP exhibited strong inhibition on the fluorite flotation but did not affect that of scheelite, and a satisfactory separation of scheelite from fluorite was achieved at the reagent regime of 60 mg/L ATMP, 40 mg/L sodium oleate (NaOL) and pH 10.0. Zeta potential measurements and AFM detections showed that the intense adsorption of ATMP onto fluorite was occurred and which could prevent the subsequent adsorption of NaOL on fluorite, while the adsorption of ATMP onto scheelite was weak and the further interaction between NaOL and scheelite was hardly influenced by it. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirmed that the interaction between calcium ions exposed on fluorite surface and the phosphate groups of ATMP accounted for the chemisorption of ATMP on fluorite. As a result, ATMP can be selected as a potential depressant for separating scheelite from fluorite.