Abstract
It is important to determine the zeta potential and the particle size distribution of mineral particles in suspension for the investigation of flocculation and dispersion phenomena which have been applied with advantage in mineral processing and in a number of solid/liquid separation processes. We proposed an improved method for determining the zeta potential of mineral particles by micro-electrophoresis. We developed an improved sedimentation balance for particle size distribution analysis of mineral particles in suspension. The particle size distribution curve of suspended particles in aqueous suspensions of quartz, fluorite and a mixture of equal weights of both particles was determined by using the sedimentation balance in order to investigate the flocculation and dispersion phenomena relating to the zeta potential of mineral particles determined by our method. Whereas quartz and fluorite particles dispersed in separate acid suspensions of pH about 7 or less, a mixture of equal weights of both quartz and fluorite particles flocculated in a third suspension of pH about 10 or less. This phenomenon is possibly explained by the heterofloccu-lation of quartz and fluorite particles which are respectively negatively and positively charged in the suspension of pH about 10 or less.
