Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol Research Articles

Advanced Simulation of Quartz Flotation Using Micro-Nanobubbles by Hybrid Serving of Historical Data (HD) and Deep Learning (DL) Methods

The present study investigates the optimization and advanced simulation of the flotation process of coarse particles (–425 + 106) using micro-nanobubbles (MNBs). For this purpose, flotation experiments in the presence and absence of MNBs were performed on coarse quartz particles, and the results were statistically analyzed. Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) was employed as a frother for generating MNBs through hydrodynamic cavitation. The significance of the operating variables, including impeller speed, air flow rate, together with the bubble size, and particle size on the flotation recovery was assessed using historical data (HD) design and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The correlation between the flotation parameters and process response in the presence and absence of MNBs was modeled using hybrid convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) as the deep learning (DL) frameworks to automatically extract features from input data using a CNN as the base layer. The ANOVA results indicated that all variables affect process responses statistically and meaningfully. Significant interactions were found between air flow rate and particle size as well as impeller speed and MNB size. It was found that a CNN-RNN model could finally be used to model the process based on the intelligent simulation results. Based on Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs), it was evident that particle size had a strong linear relationship with recovery. However, Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) was considerably more accurate in predicting relationships than Pearson correlations, even though the model outputs agreed well.

The surface energy and surface charge of microbubbles generated by frother surfactants

Microbubbles (MBs) in froth flotation have the important function of facilitating the collision and attachment between air bubbles and hydrophobic materials and subsequently recovering the hydrophobic materials. However, whether MBs can be generated in a flotation cell by adding frother surfactants is unknown. This study was designed to determine whether the two widely used frothers, methyl isobutylcarbinol (MIBC), representing alcohol frothers, and Dowfroth 250 (DF250), representing polyglycol ether frothers, could help generate MBs in a mechanical flotation cell. The underpinning air/water interfacial properties were also studied in the presence of the two frothers. The real time bubble size measurement demonstrated that MBs could be generated in the mechanical flotation cell in the presence of MIBC or DF250, and DF250 produced more and smaller MBs than MIBC. Air/water interfacial tension and microbubble zeta potential measurements indicated that the generation of MBs by MIBC and DF250 was primarily controlled by their ability in reducing surface tension. While DF250 formed premicellar aggregates at air/water interfaces and reduced surface tension significantly, MIBC only formed monolayers at air/water interfaces and reduced surface tension slightly. However, the slower adsorption of DF250 at air/water interfaces inhibited the generation of MBs to some extent. Compared with surface tension, surface charge played a secondary role in generating MBs. The adsorption of MIBC reduced the magnitude of surface charge of MBs, thus inhibiting the generation of MBs, while the adsorption of DF250 increased the magnitude of surface charge of MBs, enhancing the generation of MBs. The different behaviours of MIBC and DF250 in modifying interfacial properties and forming MBs were attributed to their unique structures. DF250 possesses a larger hydrophilic head and a longer hydrophobic chain than MIBC, and thus has a stronger ability to assist with the generation of MBs.

Effect of surfactant on the attachment between coal particles and bubbles: An experimental and molecular dynamics simulation study

Surfactant plays a vital role in flotation, especially in the adsorption of particle and bubble surface. From macroscopic to atomic scales, the effects of surfactant on the attachment between coal particles and bubbles were investigated by the induction time measurements, bubble-particle wrap angle measurements, thin liquid films measurements and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The three surfactants are Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). Macroscopically, the coal particles could be more easily attached to a bubble surface in three solutions, particularly in CTAB solution. This was because the speed of thinning and rupture of thin liquid film between coal-particles and bubbles was faster in CTAB solution than that in other solutions. MD simulation findings show that the adsorption of CTAB significantly improves the water molecule migration rate. In addition, the CTAB promotes the attachment efficiency in floatation.

Electrostatic Forces in Control of the Foamability of Nonionic Surfactant

Can the DLVO theory predict the foamability of flotation frothers as MIBC (methyl isobutyl carbinol)? The flotation froth is a multi-bubble system, in which the bubbles collide, thus either coalescing or rebounding. This scenario is driven by the hydrodynamic push force, pressing the bubbles towards each other, the electrostatic and van der Waals forces between the bubbles, and the occurrence of the precipitation of the dissolved air between the bubbles. We studied the foamability of 20 ppm MIBC at constant ionic strength I = 7.5 × 10−4 mol/L at different pH values in the absence and presence of modified silica particles, which were positively charged, thus covering the negatively charged bubbles. Hence, we observed an increase in the foamability with the increase in the pH value until pH = 8.3, beyond which it decreased. The electrostatic repulsion between the bubbles increased with the increase in the pH value, which caused the electrostatic stabilization of the froth and subsequently an increase in the foamability. The presence of the particles covering the bubbles boosted the foamability also due to the steric repulsion between the bubbles. The decrease in the foamability at pH > 8.3 can be explained by the fact that, under such conditions, the solubility of carbon dioxide vanished, thus making the aqueous solution supersaturated with carbon dioxide. This caused the precipitation of the latter and the emergence of microbubbles, which usually make the bubbles coalesce. Of course, our explanation remains a hypothesis.

Separation of Graphites and Cathode Materials from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Roasting–Froth Flotation

The separation of graphites and cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is essential to close the loop of material used in LIBs. In this study, the roasting characteristics of the spent LIB materials are carefully analyzed, and the effects of roasting on the surface morphology and elemental chemical states of electrode materials are fully investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, SEM-EDS, and XPS to explore the roasting–flotation enhancement mechanism. Then, froth flotation is utilized to separate the graphites and cathode materials from the spent LIB materials. The optimal roasting temperature is determined by thermogravimetric analysis and the SEM-EDS analysis of the spent LIB materials. The results suggest that the organic binder can be effectively removed from the spent LIB materials at the roasting temperature of 500 °C, and there is almost no loss of graphite. The XPS results indicate that, in the process of roasting, the decomposition products of the organic binder can easily react with valuable metals (Ni, Co, and Mn) to produce corresponding metal fluoride. The flotation results of the spent LIB materials after roasting at the optimal conditions indicate that graphites and cathode materials can be efficiently recovered through roasting–froth flotation. When the dosage of kerosene is 200 g/t and the dosage of methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) is 150 g/t, the cathode materials grade is 91.6% with a recovery of 92.6%, while the graphite grade is 84.6% with a recovery of 82.7%. The roasting–froth flotation method lays the foundation for the subsequent metallurgical process.

Effect of electrolyte and flotation collector on foam films in the presence of frothers

The growing complexity of mineralogy and environmental considerations requires mineral concentrators to maximise the synergistic effect of reagent mixtures and salts on flotation performance. There is thus an increasing need to study those interactions. This paper examines the stability of thin liquid films formed from frother solutions in the presence of a collector, i.e., potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) and an electrolyte (NaCl). Two different frothers were used: methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) and di polypropylene glycol (DPG). The film thinning process was recorded to determine the film lifetime. The rupture thickness was calculated, and the surface potential was obtained from the films that reached an equilibrium state. The presence of 1 ppm PAX significantly improved the stability of films in certain solutions of DPG (10–2 × 103 ppm) and MIBC (1 × 102–2 × 103 ppm), where the films could be stable at a very small thickness. The changes in the surface potential of films generated in DPG and DPG/PAX solutions suggested that the addition of PAX influenced the frother adsorption on the film surface and supported a molecular interaction between xanthate and frother molecules at the air–water interface. Overall, adding salt decreased the stability of films with frother/PAX. Higher salt concentrations reduced the film stability, and the films generally ruptured at a greater thickness. Specifically, in the presence of 2 M NaCl, the stability of the films formed from the frother/PAX solutions significantly declined at higher frother concentrations, probably due to the generation of microbubbles or oil droplets. The cooperative effect between the frother, PAX and NaCl was evidently seen from the film behaviour of the ternary system. The stabilities of those films were more affected by the presence of salt than PAX. Closer attention needs to be paid to the presence and concentration of salt in monitoring the flotation pulp in a plant.

Influence of operating parameters on nanobubble-assisted flotation of graphite

Although many studies have focused on processing of lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), there is a considerable lack of information concerning the application of nanobubbles (NBs) in their floatabilities. To cover this knowledge gap, the current study aims at exploring the effect of key operating parameters on flotation of two types of graphite i.e., lithium-ion batteries’ graphite (LIBG) and natural ore graphite (NOG) in the presence of NBs. For this purpose, the effects of NB solution ratio, impeller speed, air flow rate, as well as dosage and type of collector and frother on recovery of graphite were investigated in the presence and absence of NBs. Three frothers (i.e., methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), terpenic oil, and 2-octanol), and three collectors (i.e., n-dodecane, kerosene and diesel oil) were employed for comparison purposes using an XFG micro-flotation unit. The hydrodynamic cavitation and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods were utilized to produce and characterize ultrafine bubbles, respectively. The DLS results confirmed the bubble size distribution ranged between 180 and 400 nm. The maximum recovery of graphite particles (ca. 98%) was obtained for the LIBG particles, at an impeller speed of 1000 rpm, air flow rate of 0.4 L/min, using 2-octanol as a frother, and n-dodecane as a collector. Further, the influential order of the frothers was found as 2-octanol > terpenic oil > MIBC. According to the flotation results, the presence of NBs increased the LIBG flotation recovery and its kinetic rate by 15% and 33%, respectively.

The effect of collectors on froth stability of frother: Atomic-scale study by experiments and molecular dynamics simulations

The effect of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC)/butyl xanthate (BX) on froth stability formed by methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) was investigated using experiments and molecular simulations, and the mechanism of the effect of differently structured collectors on the interfacial water at the gas–liquid interface was discovered. The froth stability indicated that DDTC and BX could considerably reduce the solution surface tension, increase the froth half-life, and maximum froth layer volume compared with MIBC solutions. Particularly, in the BX-containing system, the froth half-life reached an astonishing 160 s, and the maximum froth layer volume reached 270 ml. To explain this observation, this study used molecular simulations to provide new insights into the interactions between DDTC/BX and MIBC and water at the molecular level. The results demonstrate that the density of water molecules at the interface of the DDTC/BX solution is higher than that of the MIBC solution, the orientation of water molecules at the interface is more ordered, and the hydrogen bonds are more tightly connected. The results are consistent with the experimental data, demonstrating that DDTC/BX improves the significance of MIBC on water molecule rearrangement at the gas–liquid interface. This study can offer a reference for studying the effect of collector structure on frother performance and can offer important guidance for the design of mineral flotation reagents.

Effect of aging time, airflow rate, and nonionic surfactants on the surface tension of bulk nanobubbles water

• Effects of aging time and airflow rate on the surface tension of bulk NB water are investigated. • Effects of airflow rate on the surface tension of bulk NB water is discussed. • The surface tension of bulk NB water is affected by the presence of NBs in the gas–liquid interface. • The surfactant adsorption affected by NBs in the gas–liquid interface determines the surface tension. Nanobubbles have attracted considerable and ever increasing scientific and commercial interest in the past two decades. The main interest focuses on the observation that they are colloidally stable showing various potential applications including flotation, wastewater treatment, cleaning. Here, we report a systematic study studying the surface tension of bulk nanobubbles (BNBs) in water with respect to the aging time and airflow rate. Further, the interfacial tensions of methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) and 2-octanol solutions in the presence and absence of BNBs has been investigated. This study showed that the surface tension of freshly generated nanobubble water is significantly lower than the surface tension of pure water and gradually increase with time until it reaches 70.5 mN/m. Further, a reduction in surface tension and an increase in nanobubbles size were observed when airflow rate was increased. The surface tensions of mixed nanobubbles with methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) was lower than those without nanobubbles, unlike nanobubbles mixed with 2-octanol solutions which led to an increase in the surface tension compared to those without nanobubbles. A possible mechanism for the change in the surface tension in nanobubbles mixed with nonionic surfactant is discussed.

Underlying synergistic collection mechanism of an emerging mixed reagent scheme in chalcopyrite flotation

Effective collectors are essential for the flotation of copper sulphide resources. In this work, we prepared a novel surfactant containing C-O-C groups, O,O'-bis(2-butoxyethyl) ammonium dithiophosphate (BEAT), and mixed it with O-isopropyl-N-ethyl thionocarbamate (IPETC) as an emerging reagent scheme for efficiently improving the flotation recovery of chalcopyrite. Foaming performance tests revealed that BEAT possessed a stronger foaming ability and foam stability than methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). Micro-flotation results indicated that a significant improvement of chalcopyrite flotation recovery of 92.43% was achieved when mixed IPETC/BEAT collectors (BEAT optimal molar fraction of 60%) of 4 × 10−5 mol/L at pH 7.0–7.5 were employed. Bench-flotation results of copper sulphide ores showed that compared with IPETC + MIBC (30 g/t + 36 g/t) or BEAT (30 g/t) alone reagent system, a smaller amount of mixed IPETC/BEAT collectors (only 20 g/t) scheme was able to obtain higher Cu recovery and Cu grade. Surface tension results implied that the mixtures provided higher surface activity than individual IPETC, thus exhibiting superior foaming properties and better water solubility. Wettability results suggested that mixed collectors possessed stronger hydrophobicity and superior selectivity towards chalcopyrite against pyrite than single collector. FTIR results demonstrated that mixed collectors were chemically involved with the chalcopyrite surface through co-adsorption. Intermolecular interaction parameter computation confirmed the positive synergistic effect of mixed collectors.

Influence of MIBC on the surface-air nucleation and bubble-particle loading in graphite froth flotation

This paper investigates one aspect of surface air nucleation in froth flotation, namely the impact of frother-type surfactants like Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). During this study, tap water was pressurized in an autoclave to produce air-oversaturated water for air nucleation precondition in flotation. Various experiments were carried out with graphite particles to investigate the influences of gas nucleation and MIBC on flotation: micro-flotation, single bubble collision experiments in hydrodynamic conditions and pick-up experiments in static conditions. In addition, microscopic observations were combined with agglomeration analysis to clarify the effects of the frother MIBC on the air nucleation and agglomerate formation. The experimental results show the combination of MIBC and air nucleation can significantly increase the graphite recovery compared to using air-oversaturated water or normal tap water with MIBC alone, respectively. The analysis indicates that MIBC can improve the air nucleation probability on graphite surfaces by enhancing the stability of the air nuclei to form more microbubbles on the surface. Meanwhile, the surface microbubbles can collide with other particles forming coarser aggregates, improving their collision probability and with this increasing the recovery of fine particles. Furthermore, the results show that MIBC can reduce the detachment of particles from the surface of nucleation bubbles, leading to an increase in particle load of the bubble-particle aggregates in hydrodynamic conditions, improving the graphite recovery significantly.

Towards an integrated approach for zero coal mine waste storage: solutions based on materials circularity and sustainable resource governance

ABSTRACT Around 25 million tons of coal mine waste rock (CMWR) are stored in many places in Morocco due to coal mining activities. As a result, air and water quality of the neighborhood is polluted and large lands are occupied. This study aimed to investigate the use of an integrated and circular approach based on coal recovery and waste rock recycling. More than 30 drill core samples were taken from the big coal dump reaching a depth of 60 m and analyzed to evaluate the chemical composition variability. Froth flotation was used to recover coal particles using diesel as a collector and Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol as a frother, 100 g/t each. The tailings of coal flotation process (CFT) were used to manufacture fired bricks at a pilot scale. The results of this study highlighted the possibility to valorize the whole waste material toward an objective of zero waste in the future. On a basis of 100t feed, (i) 10-15t can be recovered as high-quality anthracite coal with a calorific value over 7500 kcal/kg using flotation processing at a recovery yield over 80%, (ii) 45-60t can be reused as shales for bricks production with a compressive strength over 16MPa, (iii) 20-30t can be reused as aggregates for concrete production with a compressive strength over 20MPa. The remaining material can be reused as sand. The recovered anthracite can be reused to manufacture coal briquettes or used at it is in the thermal power plant next to the dump site.

The beneficiation of the Pütürge pyrophyllite ore by flotation: mineralogical and chemical evaluation

AbstractSamples from the pyrophyllite reserves in the Malatya–Pütürge region, used in the production of the whitest cement in Europe, were beneficiated using flotation. The mineralogical composition of the natural pyrophyllite, as determined using X-ray diffraction, includes pyrophyllite, kaolinite, quartz, illite–mica and feldspar. The chemical composition of pyrophyllite contains 69.75% SiO2 and 23.04% Al2O3. The pyrophyllite percentage (40–45 wt.%) of the natural sample increased to 60–80 wt.% after flotation. In flotation experiments, the effects of reagent amounts, types and their mixtures were investigated. Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) and pine oil as frothers and kerosene as a collector were used in the flotation studies. The use of reagents as mixtures has a positive effect on the beneficiation compared to use on their own. The best result was obtained for a mixture of MIBC with kerosene, which is a non-ionic hydrocarbon oil, yielding a concentrate containing 26.63% Al2O3. Improved results were also observed for kerosene plus frother mixtures after flotation cleaning circuits. The bubbles formed during flotation were photographed and the bubble diameters were measured using the ImageJ program. The Al2O3 content was evaluated by correlating the bubble diameters. In general, selectivity decreased during experiments in which bubble diameters were reduced.

Species Surface Distribution and Surface Tension of Aqueous Solutions of MIBC and NaCl Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) is a high-performance surfactant with unusual interfacial properties much appreciated in industrial applications, particularly in mineral flotation. In this study, the structure of air–liquid interfaces of aqueous solutions of MIBC-NaCl is determined by using molecular dynamics simulations employing polarizable and nonpolarizable force fields. Density profiles at the interfaces and surface tension for a wide range of MIBC concentrations reveal the key role of polarizability in determining the surface solvation of Cl− ions and the expulsion of non-polarizable Na+ ions from the interface to the liquid bulk, in agreement with spectroscopic experiments. The orientation of MIBC molecules at the water liquid–vapor interface changes as the concentration of MIBC increases, from parallel to the interface to perpendicular, leading to a well-packed monolayer. Surface tension curves of fresh water and aqueous NaCl solutions in the presence of MIBC intersect at a reproducible surfactant concentration for a wide range of salt concentrations. The simulation results for a 1 M NaCl aqueous solution with polarizable water and ions closely capture the MIBC concentration at the intercept. The increase in surface tension of the aqueous MIBC/NaCl mixture below the concentration of MIBC at the intersection seems to originate in a disturbance of the interfacial hydrogen bonding structure of the surface liquid water caused by Na+ ions acting at a distance and not by its presence on the interface.

Frother concentration measurement with a benchtop NMR spectrometer

In the present study, the previously developed frother concentration analysis technique based on the solid phase extraction process and the cryogen-free benchtop NMR is extended. We demonstrate that this technique can accurately quantify the concentrations of the most widely used flotation frothers such as methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) and polypropylene glycol (PPG) type frother within 30 min even in presence of residual flotation collectors (e.g., diesel or ethyl xanthate) and inorganic electrolytes. It was also found that the present technique can determine the concentrations of individual frothers in frother blends in the simulated process water sample even in the presence of background chemicals. This technique has great potential for real-time measurement of frother concentration on-site as the whole process can be fully automated and does not require specialist staff to operate and maintain.

Gas Dispersion Characteristics in a Novel Jet-Stirring Coupling Flotation Device

A jet-stirring coupling flotation device (JSCFD) was proposed to analyze the distribution characteristics of gas holdup and bubble Sauter mean diameter (D32) in a gas–liquid system under various parameters. Results of studies suggested that the gas holdup increased with methyl isobutyl carbinol concentration, feeding pressure, and gas flow rate. The maximal gas holdup in the absence of the stirring impeller was ∼23.29% for the bubble size of 0.59 mm, which was considerably lower than the maximum gas holdup of 66.27% for the bubble size of 0.31 mm in the presence of the stirring impeller; the gas holdup was raised by ∼43% due to the bubbles torn by the stirring impeller to generate extensive smaller size bubbles and increase the content of small bubbles, and increasing the stirring impeller speed was conducive to reduce the bubble size and increase the gas holdup in JSCFD. Compared to traditional flotation machines, the size of bubbles generated by JSCFD was smaller, and the gas holdup distribution conforms to the following order: JSCFD > mechanical flotation machine > column flotation, which demonstrated that the JSCFD had a noticeable effect on increasing the gas holdup and reducing the bubble size.

Un nuevo algoritmo para la evaluación de los parámetros cinéticos R∞ y k, en el proceso de flotación de carbon

Floating models have been a topic of investigation for more than 90 years, which has allowed their introduction in many industrial processes. In this paper is presented, an algorithm to determine the kinetic parameters for the coal flotation process in a fast and practical way, using a spreadsheet. A 22 factorial design was run with three replicates. The selected factors were: concentration of methyl isobutyl carbinol as foaming agent, and diesel as a collector. For both foaming agent and collector, low and high levels were 25 g/ton, and 100 g/ton respectively. To verify the model’s curvature, an intermediate point was included. The statistical analysis of the fuel recovery and kinetic flotation is presented. Three kinetic models were used for the evaluation of the proposed algorithm, García-Zuñiga’s algorithm, and both of the algorithms proposed by Klimpel. With the analysis of variance, it is concluded that both factors influence significantly the efficiency of coal flotation. However, the factor that has the most significant effect is the foaming agent. It is also concluded that the proposed algorithm is functional, presenting correlation coefficients higher than 0.9948. The utilized kinetic models present similar average R2 values, for the first order R2=0.9984, and for the second-order R2=0.9975.

Foaming performance evaluation of frother emulsions in the slime flotation: Foamability, foam stability, and foam flow

Frother is a slime flotation agent that is extensively employed. The foaming performance of frother directly affects the separation efficiency of coal and mineral. The conventional dropwise addition of the frothers resulted in reagent waste and flotation performance fluctuation. The frother, which was dispersed into the water in the form of micro-nano oil beads in advance, dramatically avoids waste and fluctuation. We evaluated the foaming performance of frother before and after emulsification in this study. A foam testing system was established based on the improved airflow method. Isopentanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol, and 2-octanol, and their emulsions, were studied for foamability, foam stability, and foam flow. The results demonstrated that frother emulsification enhanced foamability, foam stability, and foam flow, compared to bare frothers. The 2-octanol emulsion presented the most considerable improvement in foamability, best foam stability, a minimum increase in foam flow among the emulsified frothers. The emulsified 2-octanol is the most suitable frother emulsion for slime flotation. The flotation experiment results showed that the emulsified 2-octanol improved the yield of cleaned coal without affecting the ash content of cleaned coal, confirming the emulsification's promotion effect of foaming performance.

Experimental insights into catalytic oxidation of 1,6-hexanediol to ε-caprolactone over (p-cymene)RuCl2(L) complexes in non-polar media

The activity-pocket site dimension (θc) dependence of (p-cymene)RuCl2(L) supports associative interchange mechanism for 1,6-hexandiol oxidation to ε-caprolactone. Methyl isobutyl carbinol, a H-accepting product, reacts with Ru, causing deactivation.

Study on the preparation and formation factors of frother emulsion

The conventional method of dropwise adding frothers causes waste of reagents and fluctuations in the flotation performance. An improved method was proposed to break the frother into tiny droplets to prepare emulsions. This work focused on the formation factors and mechanisms in preparing qualified frother emulsions for industrial applications. Selected emulsification objects, isopentanol, methyl isobutyl carbinol, and 2-octanol, were compounded with Span80 and Tween20 under different HLB. The best HLB of the three emulsions were 13, 15, and 13, respectively. The control variable method was adopted to prepare the emulsions with single-factor variables, including shear time, shear rate, emulsifier dosage, and frother content. The optimized experimental conditions to prepare frother emulsion were a shear time of 8 min, the shear rate of (4000 ± 1000) r/min, emulsifier dosage of (3.5 ± 1) %, and frother content of (30 ± 5) %. The response surface optimization experiment was carried out with Design Expert 8.0. Optimized conditions to prepare isopentanol emulsion, methyl isobutyl carbinol emulsion, and 2-octanol emulsion include shear rate of 3910, 4082, 4156 r/min, emulsifier dosage of 4.04, 3.28, 3.72%, frother content of 26.51, 30.07, 27.49%, and predicted particle sizes of 247, 202, 196 nm, respectively. The formation mechanism of frother emulsion prepared by the shearing method was analyzed based on the analysis of formation factors. Under shearing action, the frother was broken into small oil droplets and well dispersed in the oil-water system. The emulsifier formed an interface film on the frother droplets surface to prevent the droplets from coalescing, enhancing emulsion stability. In addition, the ionic emulsifier could also form an electric double layer, which further prevented the coalescence through electrostatic repulsion and boosted the emulsion stability. The flotation experiment results showed that emulsified 2-octanol produced a higher concentrate yield than 2-octanol, confirming the emulsification's promotion effect.