A series of amino acid-based surfactants with a fixed alkyl chain length and with two carboxyl groups separated by a spacer of one, two or three carbon atoms have been synthesized and evaluated as potential collectors for flotation of calcite and fluorite. A monocarboxylate amino acid-based surfactant having the same length of the hydrocarbon tail was also included in the study. Experiments using a Hallimond flotation tube showed that although the flotation reagents solely differs in terms of spacer, their efficacy in terms of flotation recovery varied very much. Whereas on calcite at pH 10.5 only the monocarboxylate collector gave a high yield, on fluorite at the same pH both the monocarboxylate and the dicarboxylate collectors with one carbon between the carboxyl groups gave good results. On calcite at the natural pH the monocarboxylate collector was most efficient but the dicarboxylate collectors with a two- and a three-carbon spacer also gave a reasonable recovery. On fluorite at the natural pH the dicarboxylate collectors with a two- and a three-carbon spacer were most efficient. The potential and the flotation recovery of the mineral particles as afunction of added collector was assessed and the adsorption was also monitored by diffuse reflectance infra-red spectroscopy. Taken together, the results showed that small changes in the head group region of the collector can radically affect flotation recovery. This type of knowledge is important to understand flotation selectivity in a mixture of similar minerals.

Separation of different calcium minerals have long been an interesting and challenging problem. In this investigation calcium mineral separation is examined by: microflotation, zeta potential measurement and adsorption, using novel collectors having two functional groups instead of one. In theory, by varying the distance between the functional groups, it could be possible to preferentially target one calcium mineral by matching the spatial distance between the sites on the mineral surface. In this investigation two new surfactants have been tested to estimate their ability to float apatite and/or calcite.Preliminary findings show that an increase in distance between the functional groups favors one mineral over the other, and this might be due to differences in the mineral surface structure.

The investigation aims to demonstrate the conceptual thoughts behind developing mineral specific reagents for use in flotation of calcium containing ores. For this purpose, a series of dicarboxylate-based surfactants with varying distance between the carboxylate groups (one, two or three methylene groups) was synthesized. A surfactant with the same alkyl chain length but with only one carboxylate group was also synthesized and evaluated. The adsorption behavior of these new reagents on pure apatite and pure calcite surfaces was studied using Hallimond tube flotation, FTIR and ζ potential measurements. The relation between the adsorption behavior of a given surfactant at a specific mineral surface and its molecular structure over a range of concentrations and pH values, as well as the region of maximum recovery, was established. It was found that one of the reagents, with a specific distance between the carboxylate groups, was much more selective for a particular mineral surface than the other homologues. For example, out of the four compounds synthesized, only the one where the carboxylate groups were separated by a single methylene group floated apatite but not calcite, whereas calcite was efficiently floated with the monocarboxylic reagent, but not with the other reagents synthesized. This selective adsorption of a given surfactant to a particular mineral surface relative to other mineral surfaces as evidenced in the flotation studies was substantiated by ζ potential and infra-red spectroscopy data

The influence of major components of calcium and sulfate ions in process water on xanthate collector adsorption and flotation response of pure chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite minerals was investigated by Hallimond tube flotation, zeta-potential, FTIR, and XPS spectroscopy studies, while bench scale flotation tests were also carried out using complex sulfide ores. Marginally lower recoveries of chalcopyrite and galena in process water and in the presence of calcium and sulfate ions in both deionized and process waters using potassium amyl xanthate as collector were observed in Hallimond tube flotation, whereas sphalerite floatability is a little increased in process water using isobutyl xanthate as collector. Zeta-potential results show the adsorption of calcium ions on the minerals. FTIR and XPS studies revealed the presence of surface oxidized sulfoxy species and surface calcium carbonates and/or calcium sulfate on chalcopyrite and galena in the presence of process water and water-containing calcium ions at flotation pH 10.5, and these surface species influenced xanthate adsorption. Surface-oxidized sulfoxy and carbonate species were seen on sphalerite surface in the presence of deionized water, process water, and water-containing calcium and sulfate ions at pH 11.5, but the surface species does not influence xanthate adsorption. Bench scale flotation using two different complex sulfide ores showed that chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite recoveries are higher in process water than tap water and general decrease of the minerals floatability at temperatures lower than 22°C in either tap water or process water

Formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent stronger than oxygen, by sulphide minerals during grinding was examined. It was found that pyrite (FeS2), chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), sphalerite ((Zn, Fe) S), and galena (PbS) generated H2O2 in pulp liquid during wet grinding and also when the freshly ground solids are placed in water immediately after dry grinding. Pyrite produced more H2O2 than other minerals and the order of H2O2 production by the minerals was found to be pyrite > chalcopyrite > sphalerite > galena. The pH of the water influenced the extent of hydrogen peroxide formation with greater amounts of H2O2 produced at highly acidic pH. Furthermore, the effect of mixed sulphide minerals, i.e., pyrite–chalcopyrite, pyrite–galena, chalcopyrite–galena and sphalerite–pyrite, sphalerite–chalcopyrite and sphalerite-galena on the formation of H2O2 showed increasing H2O2 formation with increasing pyrite fraction. There is clear correlation of the amount of H2O2 production with the rest potential of the sulphide minerals; the greater the rest potential of a mineral the greater the formation of H2O2. This study highlights the necessity of revisiting the electrochemical and/or galvanic interactions between sulphide minerals, and interaction mechanisms between pyrite and other sulphide minerals in terms of their flotation behaviour in the context of inevitable H2O2 existence in the pulp liquid

Almost all of the flotation reagents used today were discovered by continued application of empirical methods and/or trial and error experimentation. Moreover, with the metal-ion specific approach used so far, it is difficult to separate the minerals containing the same constituent metal ion. A critical assessment of molecular recognition processes involved in biomineralization suggested the possibility of using reagents which are surface specific. The concept that the molecules consisting of two or more functional groups having appropriate spacing between those so as to achieve structural/stereochemical compatibility during interaction with the mineral surface exhibit structure-specificity is thought to be extended to the design of specific collectors in flotation processes. In the present study, for the first time, a rational design of surface active molecules, and thereby the recognition of crystal faces (of minerals) by these molecules through structural and stereochemical matching is being utilized successfully to selectively float various minerals. For this purpose, carboxylate-based collectors (for mineral specific flotation of calcium minerals) as well as xanthate-based collectors (for mineral specific flotation of sulphide minerals) with a fixed alkyl chain length but having two functional groups with varying geometrical distances (separated by a spacer of one, two and three carbon atoms) between them have been synthesized. In this article, we have discussed the design, synthesis, purification of these novel mineral specific collectors as well as their important solution parameters in relation to flotation processes.

The participation of H2O2 in oxidation of the galena mineral and as a result in decreasing of the concentrate recovery of galena mineral has not yet been shown. In this study the effect of two types of grinding media in wet and dry grinding on the formation of hydrogen peroxide and galena flotation was investigated. Laboratory stainless steel ball mill (Model 2VS, CAPCO Test Equipment, Suffolk, UK) was used for grinding galena with mild steel and stainless steel media. Galena ground with mild steel generated more hydrogen peroxide than galena ground with stainless steel media. Galena ground with mild steel has a lower galena recovery than galena ground with stainless steel media. Solutions of 2, 9-dimethyl-1, 10-phenanthroline (DMP) were used for estimating H2O2 amount in pulp liquid with DU® Series 700 UV/Vis Scanning Spectrophotometer. This study highlights the necessity of relooking into galvanic interaction mechanisms between the grinding medium and galena in terms of its flotation behavior.

Formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent stronger than oxygen, by chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), which is a copper iron sulfide mineral, during grinding, was investigated. It was observed that chalcopyrite and pyrite generated H2O2 in pulp liquid during wet grinding and also the solids when placed in water immediately after dry grinding. The generation of H2O2 in either wet or dry grinding was thought to be due to a reaction between chalcopyrite and water where the mineral surface is catalytically active in producing •OH free radicals by breaking down the water molecule. When chalcopyrite and pyrite are mixed in different proportions, the formation of H2O2 was seen to increase with increasing pyrite fraction in the mixed composition. The results of H2O2 formation in pulp liquid of chalcopyrite and together with pyrite at different experimental conditions have been explained by Eh-pH diagrams of these minerals. This study highlights the necessity of revisiting the electrochemical and/or galvanic interaction mechanisms between the chalcopyrite and pyrite.

Formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent stronger than oxygen, during the grinding of galena (PbS) was examined. It was observed that galena generated H2O2 in pulp liquid during wet grinding and also when the freshly ground solids were placed in water immediately after dry grinding. The generation of H2O2 during either wet or dry grinding was thought to be due to a reaction between galena and water, when the mineral surface is catalytically active, to produce OH• free radicals by breaking down the water molecule. It was also shown that galena could generate H2O2 in the presence or absence of dissolved oxygen in water. The concentration of H2O2 formed increased with decreasing pH. The effects of using mixtures of pyrite or chalcopyrite with galena were also investigated. In pyrite-galena mixture, the formation of H2O2 increased with an increase in the proportion of pyrite. This was also the case with an increase in the fraction of chalcopyrite in chalcopyrite-galena mixtures. The oxidation or dissolution of one specific mineral rather than the other in a mixture can be explained better by considering the extent of H2O2 formation rather than galvanic interactions. It appears that H2O2 plays a greater role in the oxidation of sulphides or in aiding the extensively reported galvanic interactions. This study highlights the necessity of further study of electrochemical and/or galvanic interaction mechanisms between pyrite and galena or chalcopyrite and galena in terms of their flotation behaviour.

The formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidising agent stronger than oxygen, during the grinding of galena (PbS) was examined. It was observed that galena generated H2O2 in the pulp liquid during wet grinding and also when the freshly ground solids were placed in water immediately after dry grinding. The generation of H2O2 during either wet or dry grinding was thought to be due to a reaction between galena and water, when the mineral surface is catalytically active, to produce OH free radicals by breaking down the water molecule. It was also shown that galena could generate H2O2 in the presence or absence of dissolved oxygen in water.The concentration of H2O2 formed increased with decreasing pH. The effects of using mixtures of pyrite or chalcopyrite with galena were also investigated. In pyrite–galena mixture, the formation of H2O2 increased with an increase in the proportion of pyrite. This was also the case with an increase in the fraction of chalcopyrite in chalcopyrite–galena mixtures. The oxidation or dissolution of one specific mineral rather than the other in a mixture can be explained better by considering the extent of H2O2 formation rather than galvanic interactions. It appears that H2O2 plays a greater role in the oxidation of sulphides or in aiding the extensively reported galvanic interactions. This study highlights the necessity of further study of electrochemical and/or galvanic interaction mechanisms between pyrite and galena or chalcopyrite and galena in terms of their flotation behaviour.

Formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent stronger than oxygen, by sulphide minerals during grinding was investigated. It was found that pyrite (FeS2), chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S), and galena (PbS), which are the most abundant sulphide minerals on Earth, generated H2O2 in pulp liquid during wet grinding in the presence of dissolved oxygen in water and also when the solids are placed in water immediately after dry grinding. Pyrite generated more H2O2 than other minerals and the order of H2O2 production by the minerals found to be pyrite > chalcopyrite > sphalerite > galena. The pH of water influenced the extent of hydrogen peroxide formation where higher amounts of H2O2 are produced at highly acidic pH. Furthermore, the effect of mixed sulphide minerals, i.e., pyrite–chalcopyrite, pyrite–galena, chalcopyrite–galena and sphalerite–pyrite, sphalerite–chalcopyrite and sphalerite–galena on the formation of H2O2 showed increasing H2O2 formation with increasing pyrite fraction in chalcopyrite–pyrite, galena–pyrite and sphalerite–pyrite compositions. The results also corroborate the amount of H2O2 production with the rest potential of the sulphide minerals; higher the rest potential of a sulphide mineral, formation of H2O2 is more. Most likely H2O2 is responsible for the oxidation of sulphide minerals and dissolution of non-ferrous metal sulphides in the presence of ferrous sulphide in addition to galvanic interactions. This study highlights the necessity of revisiting the electrochemical and/or galvanic interactions between pyrite and other sulphide minerals in terms of their flotation and leaching behaviour in the context of inevitable H2O2 existence in the pulp liquid.