Scribd
Upload
298 views

Froth Flotation: Flotation Reagents DMR Sekhar

The document summarizes various reagents used in froth flotation processes. It describes frothers that create stable froth, collectors that induce hydrophobicity through functional groups attaching to mineral surfaces, and other reagents like depressants, activators, and pH modifiers. It provides examples of major reagent types and concludes with opportunities to improve selective separation of minerals and recovery of fine particles.

Uploaded by

Mehmet Aydin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
298 views

Froth Flotation: Flotation Reagents DMR Sekhar

The document summarizes various reagents used in froth flotation processes. It describes frothers that create stable froth, collectors that induce hydrophobicity through functional groups attaching to mineral surfaces, and other reagents like depressants, activators, and pH modifiers. It provides examples of major reagent types and concludes with opportunities to improve selective separation of minerals and recovery of fine particles.

Uploaded by

Mehmet Aydin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 24

FROTH

FLOTATION
Flotation Reagents

DMR Sekhar
Contents
 Introduction
 Frothers
 Collectors
 Anionic collectors
 Cationic collectors
 Non-Ionic collectors
 Amphoteric collectors
 Non polar parts of collectors
 Tall oil products
 Adsorption of straight chain fatty acids
 Adsorption of mixed fatty acids
 Depressants
 Activators
 Pre activation
 Promoters
 pH modifiers
 Summary
 References
Introduction
 Froth flotation is a process of separation of hydrophobic
materials/minerals from hydrophilic ones.
 Some minerals such as graphite are naturally
hydrophobic and hence are naturally floatable.
 Hydrophobicity may be induced to mineral surfaces by
adsorbing certain surfactants called collectors.
 Hydrophobic minerals are collected from flotation pulp
into a froth phase.
 frothers, collectors, depressants, activators, pH modifiers
are other flotation reagents.
Frothers
 Creating sufficiently stable froth is a prerequisite for flotation process.
 This is achieved by reagents called frothers.

 Methyl Iso butyl Carbinol (MIBC) is one popular frother. pine oil,
eucalyptus oil, cresylic acid and long chain alcohols (amyl alcohol)
are other known frothers. Functional group of frother should not have
any affinity for mineral surface.
Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol
 OH group of MIBC is
hydrophillic, non ionising
and CH3 groups (hydrocarbon chain)
are hydrophobic.
 At water air interface OH groups
orient towards water and
hydrocarbon chain orients
towards air resulting into reduced surface tension of water at water air
interface.
Collectors
 Collectors are reagents that have non polar
hydrocarbon chain attached to a polar functional
group which interact with the mineral surface that is
functional groups of collectors are solidophillic.
 Depending on the charge of functional group
collectors are classified as anionic, cationic, non
ionic and amphoteric collectors.
 Selectivity of collector adsorption largely depends
on the composition and structure of functional
group.
Anionic Collectors
O
 Fatty acids or their soaps R C H+ or Na+
O-

 Xanthates

S
R O
 Dithiophosphates
P Na
+
R O S-
Cationic Collectors
 Lauryl Amine Hydrochloride

H H

R N+ Cl-

H
Non Ionic Collectors
 Amyl Disulphide

R S

R S
Amphoteric Collectors
• The functional group ionises to positive charge in acidic pH and
negative charge in alkaline pH
• In chemistry, an amphoteric species is a molecule or ion that can
react as an acid as well as a base.
• N- Sarcosine

+
Non Polar Parts of
Collectors
 So far we showed non polar parts (which are
hydrocarbon chains) of the collectors as R attached
to their functional groups.

 In the case of xanthates, dithiophosphates etc the


hydrocarbon chains are ethyl/ propyl or butyl which
are shorter.

 Cationic collectors have lauryl or longer


hydrocarbon chains.
 Fatty acid collectors have mostly C18 fatty acids
such as stearic acid (C18H35COOH), oleic
acid(C18H33COOH) and Linoleic acid (C18H31COOH)

Stearic acid

Oleic acid

Linoleic acid
Tall oil Products
• Tall Oil Fatty Acids (extracted from wood) or their
soaps are used as Collector in industrial flotation.
Abietic-type acids represents the majority 85-90% of
typical tall oil extracted from wood.
• Simmplified formula C20H30O2, or C19H29COOH
Adsorption of straight
chain fatty acid anions

Aqueous phase

Solid (mineral) phase

1a. Compact layer of adsorbed saturated


fatty acid anions on a mineral surface.
Adsorption of mixed fatty
acid anions
Aqueous phase

Solid (mineral) phase

1b. Fluffy layer of adsorbed mixed


fatty acid anions on a mineral surface.
fatty acids with cis double bonds are kinked
at the double bond. Double bonds may be hydrated
due to its basic nature. Mixed fatty acids are
specified in terms of iodine value, titer point and
total fatty matter.
Depressants
 Depressants are used to prevent the entry of unwanted minerals into
froth phase.

 Sodium silicate (Na2Sio3) is the depressant used in soap flotation of


minerals to prevent the flotation of silica.

 Cyanide (Na+ CN-) is a very selective depressant for pyrite and


sphalerite while floating galena.

 Dyes such as methylene blue are depressants for graphite.


Activators
 Sphalerite (ZnS in cubic form) shows atypical flotation
behaviour. While sphalerite in some ores showed native
floatability others generally respond to Xanthate flotation
only after “activation” by Cu ions.
 Cyanide depresses sphalerite due to the formation of
hydrophilic surface complexes. CN-, Zn(CN)2, Zn(CN)3-,
Zn(CN)4- -
 Cu ions added to the flotation pulp replace Zn from both
zinc cyanide complex and zinc sulphide
Zn(CN)2 + Cu++ Cu(CN)2 + Zn++ (1)

ZnS + Cu++ CuS + Zn++ (2)


Pre Activation of Cyanide
Depressed Sphalerite
• Formaldehyde can break zinc cyanide complexes.

Zn(CN)2 + 2HCHO 2CNCH2O - + Zn++ (3)

Equation (3) can replace equation (1) in the flotation of


cyanide depressed sphalerite which is the pre step of activation
mechanism and hence is termed pre activation.
• Addition of formaldehyde prior to copper activation not only
reduces copper (as copper sulphate) consumption but also
improves the recovery of sphalerite selectively.
Promoters
 Several flotation reagents may be grouped under promoters
for example Light Diesel Oil is used to improve hydrophobicity
imparted by hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids in soap
flotation. LDO acts as hydrocarbon chain extender.

 Detergents such as sodium petroleum sulfonate or alfa olefin


sulfonate may be used along with soap collectors to improve
the flotation efficiency and also to reduce the soap
consumption.

 Hydrotropes that enhance the dissolution of non polar solutes


in water are being tested as promoters in soap flotation. Urea,
sodium benzoate, sodium salicylate are promising.
 Hydrotropes are similar to surfactants structurally but have
shorter hydrocarbon chains.
pH Modifiers
 Selectivity of flotation reagents, ionization of
functional groups, formation of various chemical
species of reagents added to the flotation pulp and
adsorption on mineral surfaces is dependant on pH
of the flotation pulp.

 lime (CaO), Soda ash (Na2CO3), Caustic soda


(NaOH) are used to adjust the pH in alkaline range.

 sulphuric acid(H2SO4) is used to adjust pH of


flotation pulp in the acidic range.
Summary
 Flotation technique is115 years old. Much has been
achieved in developing flotation reagents that are
selective and so much needs to be achieved. Some
industrial problems to look at are:
(1) Selective separation of graphite from sulphide ores.
(2) Recovery of fine sized (- 20 µm) galena and sphalerite
from sulphide ores.
(3) Specifications of soap from mixed fatty acids for
industrial flotation.

 Industry and University interaction may be fruitful to


attend the above problems.
References
• Gaudin, AM., Principles of Mineral Dressing, Tata
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New
Delhi.1971
• Glembotskii, V.A., Klassen, V.I., Plaksin,I.N.,
Flotation, Primary Sources, New York, 1972.
• Houot, R., Beneficiation of phosphate ore through
flotation: Review of industrial applications and
potential developments, Int J Mineral Processing, 9
(1982) 352.
• Sekhar D M R , Chauhan Y K, Soap Flotation Plant
Practice in India, Trans Indian Inst. of Metals, 51(4)
(1998).
References
continued
• Roy B K and Moulik S P, “Effect of hydro tropes on
solution behaviour of amphiphiles” Current Science,
85(8) (2003).
• Roux, E H, De Jager, D H, Du Plooy, J H, Nicotra, A,
Van Der Linde, G J and De Waal, P, 1989. Phosphate
in South Africa, Journal Southern African Institute of
Mining and Metallurgy, 89(5):129 - 139.
• DMR and CL Jain, Reengineering the Jhamarkotra
phosphate concentrator, In the proceedings of XXIII
International Mineral Processing Congress, 3
September, 2006, Istanbul, Turkey.
References
continued
• Sekhar, DMR., Srinivas, K., Prabhulingaiah, G.,
Dassin, Y and Alftinah, A., Promoters For Soap
Flotation of Phosphate Minerals, XXV International
Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC), Proceedings/
Brsibane, QLD, Australia, 6 - 10 September, 2010
• Srinivas, K and Sekhar, DMR, Comparitive Study of
Jhamarkotra Soap Emulsion and Tall Oil Soap
Emulsion as Flotation Collectors, Indian Chemical
Engineer, Vol. 52 No. 3 July-September (2010)
Thanks
• Thanks to Prof. ChVR Murthy, Principal, AU College
of Engineering for making this Work Shop happen.
• Thanks to Prof. V. Sujata, Prof. SV Naidu and
Prof. P. King and to the Department of Chemical
Engineering for whole hearted support.

• Thanks to Prof. TC Rao and DV Subba Rao Garu who


are central to this work shop.

You might also like