Field Of Mineral Processing Research Articles

A strategy for treatment of low-grade ore: Efficient separation and purification of iron

The gradual depletion of mineral resources has led to the emergence of a new engineering challenge in the field of mineral processing: the effective treatment of low-grade ores. In this study, the low-grade titanium ore leaching solution was employed as the raw material. The extraction ability of a series of hydroxyl extractants for the most common metal iron in minerals was investigated. As a result, a new high-quality processing system for low-grade ore with branched-chain octanol as the core component was constructed. In the treatment of mineral leaching solution, branched-chain octanol has high selectivity and large capacity (111.7 g/L) for iron. It was capable of efficiently removing a significant quantity of iron ions in low-grade ores that were not anticipated to be present. By employing quantum chemical (QC) methodologies, the mechanism for the high selectivity of branched-chain octanol for Fe(Ⅲ) has been elucidated by analyzing the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energy of acid salts of common metals in minerals. Combined with spectral analysis and slope method, the structure of the extracted complex was confirmed to be [n-R8-OH]2·H·FeCl4. On the basis of system optimization, a three-stage countercurrent extraction and three-stage countercurrent stripping was employed to remove all the Fe(Ⅲ) in the mineral leaching solution. And after detecting, the purity of the obtained Fe(III) solution was greater than 99.5 %. In the treatment of low-grade minerals, especially those containing key metals, the branched-chain octanol extraction system demonstrates high selectivity and reliability, which is a effective means to improve the quality of mineral leaching solution.

Research on the progress of particle-bubble transport

Abstract Due to the pressing need for efficient and environmentally friendly utilization of low-quality mineral resources in the field of mineral processing, there has been a growing focus on investigating the flotation method. Foam flotation is widely employed as a means to separate different valuable minerals. The underlying mechanism involves numerous buoyant bubbles within the fluid that come into contact with and transport target mineral particles towards the upper apex of the fluid, resulting in the formation of a foam layer. This foam layer serves as a collection point for valuable target minerals, thereby facilitating their separation and recovery. This paper reviews the research progress of flotation to the present, and the source, purpose, and significance of flotation research are discussed first. Secondly, the great changes brought by the simulation method to the optimization of flotation performance are demonstrated. Finally, the sub-process mechanism of flotation is discussed. Through the above investigation on the progress of particle-bubble transport, the importance of bubbles and particles to the improvement or reduction of flotation performance is clarified, and the follow-up research and engineering practice are guided.

Potential and characteristics of rare-earth metals acid bioleaching from the rare-earth-rich tailings with the enriched functional bacterial consortium: Comparison between one-step and two-step processes

The irreplaceable roles of rare-earth metals (REMs) in modern technologies have renewed interest in the grand challenges of mineral processing and metallurgical engineering—the efficient extraction of REMs. However, traditional methods for extracting REMs are inefficient, costly and harmful to health and the environment. In this study, a method of biological extraction (bioleaching), which has been proved to be effective in the field of mineral processing for extraction of the metals, was employed for REMs bioleaching from Bayan Obo rare-earth-rich tailings (RERT) using the acid functional bacterial consortium, and the optimal culture and leaching conditions were optimized. Under the optimal conditions for 18 days, the total bioleaching rate of the five main REMs of La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm was obtained at 82.78 % for one-step process and 83.51 % for two-step process, which has a significant improvement comparing to previous studies. The results demonstrated that REMs could be efficiently bioleached by acid bioleaching functional bacterial consortium, and the difference in leaching efficiency between the one-step and two-step bioleaching process was not significant. In addition, by analyzing the mineral composition of the RERT and leaching residue, the extensively bioleach of REMs in bastnaesite are observed. To sum up, the rare-earth resources of Bayan Obo RERT could be effectively leached by acid bioleaching method.

Mining and Mineral Processing Journals in the WoS and Their Rankings When Merging SCIEx and ESCI Databases—Case Study Based on the JCR 2022 Data

The 2022 JCR included ESCI journals for the first time, increasing the number of publication titles by approximately 60%. In this paper, the subcategory Mining and Mineral Processing (part of the Engineering and Geosciences category, where 12 of the ESCI journals were merged with the 20 SCIEx ones) is presented and analyzed. Only three of the ESCI journals included in the database were ranked Q1/Q2. The inclusion of the entire ESCI added new content for readers and authors relying on JCR sources. This paper offers authors, researchers, and publishers in the Mining and Mineral Processing field practical insights into the potential benefits and challenges associated with the changing landscape of indexed journals, as well as in-depth, systematic analyses that provide potential authors with the opportunity to select the most suitable journal for submitting their papers.

Enhanced Flotation of Dolomite Particles by Grinding with Short Cylindrical Media

In the field of mineral processing, the successful flotation of target minerals requires sufficient liberation through grinding. The aim of this paper is to compare and evaluate the performance of ball versus short cylindrical media for comminution of dolomite by point and line contact, respectively. The results of the grinding experiments indicate that short cylinders generate more angular particles with intermediate sizes and exhibit a higher grinding efficiency compared to balls. The Population Balance Model demonstrates the distribution of broken fragment sizes during the breaking stage for each size range. The results of the DEM (discrete element method) grinding simulation are consistent with the experimental findings in terms of the distribution of particle sizes, the shape of the particles, and the distribution of broken fragment sizes. Furthermore, short cylinders selectively produce more active {104} crystal surface of dolomite, which possess a higher adsorption capacity with collectors and are preferentially floated as the concentrate. In reverse flotation for removal of dolomite, tests confirm that the products obtained from grinding with short cylinders exhibit a higher flotation recovery of dolomite compared to those obtained from ball grinding. This study provides a reference scheme for optimizing the grinding and flotation processes of valuable minerals.

Research Status and Challenges of High-Purity Quartz Processing Technology from a Mineralogical Perspective in China

Quartz deposits are widely dispersed in nature, but the presence of ore bodies capable of yielding high-purity quartz is exceedingly rare. As a result, the effective purification and processing of high-purity quartz from natural siliceous materials has emerged as a prominent area of research within the non-metallic mineral processing field. This article offers an overview of the current state of research and its limitations in quartz purification and processing technology in China, including the characteristics of quartz mineral resources, the geological origins of ore deposits, impurity forms in ores, and purification techniques. Drawing from examples of five distinct types of quartz ores—vein quartz, powder quartz, quartzite, granitic pegmatite, and pegmatitic granite—we delve into the inherent properties of quartz deposits, ores, and minerals from a mineralogical perspective, establishing their link to purification and processing methodologies. A fundamental challenge restraining the advancement of the high-purity quartz industry is the absence of criteria for evaluating and selecting high-purity quartz raw materials. Existing purification technologies grapple with issues such as intricate single mineral liberation, substantial acid consumption, high energy requirements, and protracted processing procedures. The lack of mineralogically based deep purification techniques presents a hurdle to the development of the high-purity quartz industry. Given the diversity of ore types, the pursuit of knowledge-driven design and the development of economically efficient, environmentally friendly, and streamlined new technologies for tackling the complexities of the purification process may constitute the future direction of our endeavors.

Effect of sulfuric acid pretreatment on flotation performance of calcite and fluorite

Difficulty in separating calcite and fluorite owing to their similar surface properties is the focus of research in the field of mineral processing. To increase the selectivity difference between these two minerals, sulfuric acid was introduced as a surface pretreatmentand, and aluminium sulfate was used as the flotation depressant. The effects of H2SO4 pretreatment on calcite and fluorite flotation performance and the mechanisms thereof were studied by combining microflotation experiments, solution chemical calculations, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT). Microflotation experiments showed that sulfuric acid pretreatment significantly reduced the flotation recovery of calcite to less than 10%, while it had little effect on fluorite, where the recovery reached greater than 80%. SEM-EDS and FT-IR analyses showed that, after sulfuric acid treatment, the surface composition of calcite was converted from CaCO3 to CaSO4, while the fluorite surface remained almost unchanged. DFT calculations showed that CaSO4 was more hydrophilic than CaCO3; therefore, it was more likely to interact with water molecules. The presence of water molecules affected the adsorption of the sodium oleate (NaOL) collector on the mineral surface. Therefore, the calcite surface adsorption ability of NaOL after sulfuric acid pretreatment was weakened, resulting in a significant decrease in flotation recovery.

Tomographic Imaging of Bauxite Grains Leached Using Hydrochloric Acid

X-ray computer tomography (XRT) is a three-dimensional, nondestructive, and thus reproducible examination method that allows for the investigation of internal and external structures of objects. Due to its characteristics, the XRT technique has increasingly established itself as an alternative examination method and is also applied in the field of mineral processing. Within this work, XRT is used to investigate the influence of hydrochloric acid leaching of iron-rich bauxites on grain composition. Acid leaching is a promising method for the beneficiation of iron-rich bauxites for refractories. Many studies have already established that leaching with hydrochloric acid can reduce the Fe2O3 content in bauxites. However, apart from the influence of the leaching process on the composition of the bauxites, aspects such as the influence of the acid on the exact grain constitution or the porosity behavior have rarely been considered so far. To address these open questions, XRT analysis was used to examine and characterize various bauxites. By comparing identical grains before and after leaching, it was observed that in gibbsite bauxites the acid penetration is deeper, and the volume decreases significantly. In diasporic and boehmitic bauxites, clear leaching edges can be seen in which the iron content has been reduced.

Parameter Optimization of the Separation Process for Hematite and Quartz Mixture Minerals Based on a Cyclone Centrifugal Separator

The current centrifugal concentrators do not continuously concentrate heavy minerals of large mass weight—for example, in the processing of iron oxides. A cyclone centrifugal separator is a new type of beneficiation equipment that has been developed on the basis of the principles of centrifugal separation and hydrocyclones. In this study, a cyclone centrifugal separator was used for the beneficiation of a hematite–quartz mixture, and the separation effect under different operating conditions was analyzed. The results showed that various factors, such as the feeding concentration, the feeding pressure, and the number of fluidization holes in the separation cone, had a significant influence on the separation performance of the cyclone centrifugal separator. The single-factor separation test results showed that the appropriate operating conditions were a feeding concentration of 10%, a feeding pressure of 120 kPa, a 40-hole separation cone, a settling port pressure of 70 kPa, and an overflow port pressure of 50 kPa. The results of the open circuit separation test that was designed on the basis of the single-factor experiment showed that the concentrate grade of Fe in the hematite–quartz mixture, with 44.12% Fe, was 54.42% after beneficiation, indicating better beneficiation separation effects. This study provides a new approach for the beneficiation of a large number of difficult-to-select hematite ores in China, and can provide a reference for the further expansion and application of the cyclone centrifugal separator in the field of mineral processing.

Effect of Na+ on the Adsorption Behavior of Polystyrene Nanoparticles onto Coal and Quartz Surfaces

The recovery of difficult-to-float coal using traditional nonpolar hydrocarbon oil collectors can be challenging, particularly for low-rank or oxidized coal. Thus, there is a need for more efficient flotation agents. Nanoparticle flotation collector technology has become increasingly popular in the field of mineral processing, and the presence of various ions in the slurry can significantly affect the interaction between collectors and mineral surfaces. In this study, cationic polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles were prepared using an emulsion polymerization method, and the effects of Na+ ion concentration on the in situ adsorption and desorption processes, adsorption layer configuration, and adsorption kinetics of PS particles on amorphous carbon (coal model) and SiO2 sensors (quartz mineral model) were analyzed using the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) technique. Our results showed that the hydrophobic PS nanoparticles irreversibly adsorbed onto both amorphous carbon and SiO2 sensors under different environmental conditions, and their adsorption capacity decreased gradually with increasing Na+ ion concentration. Increasing Na+ ion concentration from 0 M to 1.0 M resulted in a 24.4% and 30.9% decrease in equilibrium adsorption capacities of PS nanoparticles onto amorphous carbon and SiO2 surfaces, respectively. The adsorption rate of PS nanoparticles onto the SiO2 surface was much greater than that on the amorphous carbon surface. The adsorption rate constant of PS nanoparticles onto SiO2 surfaces was 0.782 at 0.1 M Na+ ion concentration, while its adsorption rate constant onto amorphous carbon surfaces was only 0.060. Moreover, the adsorption process was found to be more in line with the quasi-primary kinetic model. These findings suggest that PS nanoparticles may serve as promising flotation collectors for the recovery of difficult-to-float coal, and highlight the importance of considering the effect of dissolved ions on the adsorption properties of flotation collectors.

Cracking and Microstructure Transition of Iron Ore Containing Goethite in Fe-C Melt Based on the HIsmelt Process

The phenomenon of cracking and deterioration of iron ore particles is a widespread scientific problem in the field of mineral processing and metallurgy. In this paper, the thermal decomposition properties of iron ore were investigated by a non-isothermal method using thermogravimetric equipment, and the crack evolution behavior of iron ore within Fe-C melt was investigated experimentally, by scanning electron microscopy and Micro-CT. The results show that the start decomposition temperature of #2 iron ore is 292.7 °C, which is 37.3 °C higher compared to that of #1 iron ore, because of its smaller pores and the difficulty of water vapor diffusion. The initial decomposition of iron ore is the decomposition goethite to form water vapor, and as heat transfer continues, hematite particles break into smaller particles and decompose to form Fe3O4. During the smelting reduction process, the Crack index (CI) of #1 iron ore was 5.50% at 4 s, and the CI index increased to 23.54% when time was extended to 16 s, and the internal evolved from locally interconnected holes to cracked structure. The iron ore maintains a relatively intact form during reduction within the Fe-C melt, and interfacial reduction reaction is dominant in the later stage.

Математический подход к изучению процесса синтеза муллита

Today the introduction of «smart» automated systems is the basis in system engineering and operations management in various industries, but not yet widespread in the field of mineral processing. 
 The object of the study is the process of interphase changes of kaolinite (Vezhayu-Vorykvinsky deposit, Knyazhpogost district, Komi Republic) during thermal treatment at a temperature range of 25—1200 °C. XRD examinations (Rietveld method and Profex programs) were carried out for quantitative estimation of the phase transformations. XRD patterns were processed by algorithms for determining the positions and heights of peaks implemented in the Python programming language. 
 We obtained a novel simplified mathematical model of kaolinite phase transformations during mullite synthesis based on XRD. The main parameters, influencing the kinetics of mullite synthesis process, have been specified.

Optimized regimes of nepheline flotation using stockpiled apatite-nepheline processing waste (the Khibiny deposits)

The task of processing stockpiled apatite-nepheline waste is of relevance and in line with the goal of ensuring environmental safety in Russia’s Arctic zone achievable through the reduction of accumulated environmental damage. The cost of processing secondary raw materials — when no grinding is required and thus most energy costs are saved — is much lower in comparison with the processing of natural raw materials. Around 1 billion tons of flotation waste have accumulated in the tailings ponds of Apatit-owned concentrator plants over the 90-year history of exploiting the Khibiny deposits. It poses a real threat of toxic pollution. In this regard, the development of beneficiation processes aimed at reducing waste that goes in the tailings ponds should be considered a priority area of research in the field of mineral processing. This paper describes the results of an extended laboratory study that looked at the concentratibility of two samples of apatite-nepheline flotation waste taken from two tailings ponds owned by Apatit which have different storage times. It is shown that the main valuable minerals in the tailings include nepheline (more than 50%), pyroxenes (5–7%) and titanite (about 4%). Three reagent regimes of reverse flotation were used to obtain nepheline concentrate: a basic regime that uses a mixture of coniferous and deciduous tall oil; a regime that uses alkyl hydroxamic acids to which distilled tall oil is added, and a regime that uses a mixture of tall oil and polyalkyl benzene sulfonic acids. The findings suggest that the regime that uses the mixture of alkyl hydroxamic and carboxylic acids with the addition of distilled tall oil provides the most efficient flotation regime that helps to selectively separate nepheline and darkcoloured minerals from the long-term storage tailings. The paper demonstrates feasibility of using apatite-nepheline processing waste (a case study of the Khibiny deposits) to produce nepheline concentrate, which serves as a material that can substitute imported non-bauxite raw materials required by aluminium industry.

Flotation separation of fluorite from calcite using bis hydroxamic acid collector

The efficient separation of fluorite and calcite is a challenging task in the field of mineral processing because of their similar chemical and physical properties. In this research, octylamino-bis-(butanohydroxamic acid) (OBHA) was introduced as collector into a flotation system comprising fluorite and calcite, and the separation of fluorite and calcite was realized in the absence of any depressants. ζ potential, FTIR, XPS measurements and DFT calculations were performed to investigate the mechanism for the selective adsorption of OBHA. The results indicate that the hydroxamic acid group of OBHA account for the adsorption process, and the adsorption of the hydroxamic acid group on fluorite was much stronger than that on calcite surface.

Difficulties and Recent Achievements in Flotation Separation of Fluorite from Calcite—An Overview

As an important strategic non-metallic mineral resource, fluorite has been widely used in various industrial fields, such as metallurgy, optics and semiconductor manufacturing, as well as fluorine-related chemical engineering. Since the major gangue minerals of fluorite ore are silicate and carbonate ones, flotation is the main beneficiation method for the concentration. Compared with the relatively easy operation for silicate-type fluorite ore, fluorite concentration from calcite has always been the most difficult challenge in the field of mineral processing. In this review, analyses of the fundamental reasons for the difficulties of flotation separation of fluorite from calcite are performed, from the similar surface properties of both calcium minerals to the deterioration by the interference of dissolved ions in the pulp during grinding and flotation. Recent achievements in the flotation separation of fluorite from calcite as the main contents are comprehensively summarized, covering all aspects of flotation reagents of collectors, depressants and modifiers. Finally, successful examples of industrial practices for fluorite and calcite flotation separation are introduced. This overview provides a detailed and comprehensive reference source for the current research status of fluorite and calcite flotation separation, and some suggestions for future research are provided.

EMJM PROMISE—The New International Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering

The challenge of attracting young people to the field of mineral processing as well as the ever-growing worldwide demand for minerals and metals together with lower-grade deposits and shortages of energy and water triggered the establishment of the new Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Program PROMISE. The consortium of four mining universities in Europe and Chile aims at master level education on engineering and sustainability issues in mineral processing. The first academic year of PROMISE will start in September 2022.

Depressant behavior of crude fucoidan in the separation of talc and molybdenite

Molybdenite is an important strategic resource. In the field of mineral processing, flotation is commonly used to enrich and extract molybdenite in the ore. In the flotation process, it is very difficult to separate talc and molybdenite because of their similar structures and natural floatability. Here a novel depressant CF with rich output and low value was demonstrated, which has never been reported in the field of mineral processing, for flotation separation of talc and molybdenite. In this study, single and manually mixed mineral flotation tests, contact angle tests, adsorption measurements, FTIR and XPS analyses were used. It was found that molybdenite can be separated from talc by reverse flotation with 20 mg/L CF as molybdenite depressant, and it can be determined that CF has the main chemisorption on the surface of molybdenite. This finding has important progressive significance for the flotation separation of molybdenite and talc.

Multivariate Specifications in the Mineral Processing Field: An introduction

The concept of multivariate specifications on incoming raw material was introduced in the mid-1990s in the chemical process industry as a tool to determine if a lot should be accepted from a supplier prior to its purchase. The objective of this paper is to adapt this concept to the mineral processing field using a simulation case study to assess the profitability of processing ore with different characteristics. To keep it simple, only the ore properties are considered to influence the final quality attributes: the concentrate flow rate and grade. Defining multivariate specification regions for raw ore properties is illustrated using simulated data from a grinding-flotation process where the feed ore average mineral grain size, grade and hardness are modified. This involves defining process performance classes based on an economic criterion, building a projection to latent structure PLS model, and adjusting statistical limits in the latent space of the model (i.e. the specification). The resulting specification region in the latent space based on a linear discriminant classifier allows to correctly classify 91% of the lots of ore in terms of their profitability.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ КОМПЛЕКСНОЙ И ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИ БЕЗОПАСНОЙ ПЕРЕРАБОТКИ ПРИРОДНОГО И ТЕХНОГЕННОГО МИНЕРАЛЬНОГО СЫРЬЯ (ПЛАКСИНСКИЕ ЧТЕНИЯ – 2021): Обзор

In Vladikavkaz (Republic of North Ossetia-Alania) in the period from October 04 – 08, 2021, the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the Problems of Mineral Enrichment, the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science “Institute of Problems of Integrated Development of Mineral Resources named after Academician N.V. Melnikova of the Russian Academy of Sciences” (IPCON RAS), the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education “North Caucasus Mining and Metallurgical Institute (State Technological University (SKGMI (GTU)” held an international conference “Problems of complex and environmentally safe processing of natural and man-made mineral raw materials” (Plaksin Readings – 2021). Plaksin Readings-2021 were attended by 150 representatives from 51 organizations, including 15 academic and 11 industry institutes, 9 large mining and metallurgical companies. The reports were made by scientists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Mongolia. Plenary reports were presented by leading scientists in the field of mineral processing: Chanturia V.A., Shadrunova I.V. (Institute of Problems of Integrated Development of Mineral Resources named after Academician N.V. Melnikova RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation); Innovative processes of deep and environmentally safe processing of technogenic raw materials in the context of new economic challenges); DmitrakYu.V. (North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russian Federation) “The main directions of scientific activity of SCGMI (GTU) in the study and solution of the problem of complex and environmentally safe processing of natural and technogenic mineral raw materials”; Kurkov A.V., Anufrieva S.I., Temnov A.V. (N.M. Fedorovsky All-Russian Research Institute of Mineral Raw Materials of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation) “Prospects for the development and implementation of integrated technologies for processing Subsurface Use waste”; Semyachkov A.I., Pochechun V.A. (Ural State Mining University, Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation) “Methodological foundations for assessing the impact of mining complexes on the environment”; Alborov I.D., Tedeeva F.G. (North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University), Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russian Federation) “Environmental aspects of the conservation of technogenic deposits of non-ferrous metals in the North Caucasus”; Masloboev V.A., Makarov D.V., Klyuchnikova E.M. (Institute of Industrial Ecology Problems of the North, FITC KNC RAS, Apatity, Russian Federation) “Sustainable development of the mining complex of the Murmansk region: minimizing technogenic impacts on the environment”; Ustinov I.D. (NPK “Mechanobr-Technika”, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation) “Geometallurgy as the basis of complex processing of mineral raw materials”; Ozhogina E.G., Kotova O.B. (FSBI “All-Russian Research Institute of Mineral Raw Materials named after N.M. Fedorovsky”, Moscow, Russian Federation, FSBI Institute of Geology named after Academician N.P. Yushkin FIT Komi NCUrO RAS, Syktyvkar, Russian Federation) “Technological mineralogy in solving the problem of complex processing of mineral raw materials”. According to the results of the Conference, the importance of the presented results of fundamental and applied research, the high scientific level of reports was noted. The Conference participants agreed that experimental results, scientific developments, and proposed technologies are of undoubted interest and will be in demand in the real sector of the economy. The Conference decided the expediency of supporting the promotion of the initiative to form a state program for the ecological rehabilitation of the land fund and water resources of North Ossetia from the damage caused earlier by the activities of mining enterprises. To provide high-tech industries of Russia with strategic metals (resources) based on complex and environmentally safe processing of natural and manmade mineral raw materials, it is recognized necessary to concentrate the research of leading organizations in the field of mineral processing on the justification and development of innovative processes for extracting valuable components from natural and man-made raw materials.

Flotation performance of a novel Gemini collector for kaolinite at low temperature

How to sustainably produce bauxite by effective reverse froth flotation of kaolinite at low temperature is an urgent problem to be solved in the field of mineral processing. In this work, a novel amino-based Gemini surfactant butadiyl-1, 4-bis (dimethyl dodecylammonium bromide) (BBDB) was prepared and first utilized as a novel collector for kaolinite flotation. Its flotation performance for kaolinite was compared with that of the common monomolecular surfactant 1-dodecylamine (DDA) by micro-flotation tests. The tests results indicated that 95% kaolinite recovery was obtained using 2.0 × 10−4 mol/L BBDB at 25 ℃, which was half of the dosage when DDA obtained the maximum kaolinite recovery of 81%. At extremely low temperature (0 ℃), 3.0 × 10−4 mol/L BBDB could still collect 91% kaolinite, while DDA showed a frustrating ability. The contact angle tests indicated that BBDB could still significantly improve the hydrophobicity of the kaolinite surface (contact angle 71.7°) than DDA (contact angle only 25.8°) at 0 ℃. The Krafft point comparison tests indicated that BBDB had a much lower Krafft point (below 0 ℃) than DDA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)-spectrum analysis and zeta potential measurements showed that BBDB was physically adsorbed on the surface of kaolinite through electrostatic interaction.