Enhanced Pyrophyllite Flotation Performance Using Sodium Oleate as an Anionic Collector in the Presence of Ammonium Ion

抄録

Flotation of pyrophyllite using the anionic collector (sodium oleate, SO) was examined in this study. The floatability of pyrophyllite was improved by increasing SO concentration (1.0 × 10⁻⁷–1.0 × 10⁻² M). The adsorption of SO on the pyrophyllite surface was confirmed by the zeta potential changes and FT-IR spectrometry. However, due to the high concertation of SO to achieve the higher floatability of pyrophyllite, it was tried to enhance the floatability of pyrophyllite at a low SO concentration. Ammonium ion (ammonium chloride, AC) was introduced to induce the additional interactions in between the pyrophyllite surface and SO. The floatability of pyrophyllite was improved in the presence of AC (0.2–1.0 M) at a low SO concentration (1.0 × 10⁻⁷ M). In the same flotation conditions employing AC and SO, the amounts of the floated quartz which is main gangue mineral in the pyrophyllite ore were smaller than those of pyrophyllite. The adsorption of AC and SO on the pyrophyllite surface was also confirmed by the zeta potential changes and FT-IR spectrometry.

Fig. 8 Floatability of the AC and SO adsorbed pyrophyllite samples at room temperature.