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.
Godkänd; 2015; 20160614 (palle)