Surface dissolution behavior and its influences on the flotation separation of spodumene from silicates

ABSTRACT

Surface dissolution behaviors of spodumene, feldspar, and quartz, and its influences on their surface properties and flotation separation were investigated when pretreated in deionized water (DI water), NaOH solution and HCl solution individually. The surface components of minerals, such as Si and Al, had shown different dissolution behaviors. In the presence of sodium oleate, the contact angle of spodumene increased after pretreated by the NaOH solution, but it decreased after pretreated by the HCl solution. The dissolution of Si from spodumene is helpful to the adsorption of sodium oleate and the flotation separation of spodumene from silicates, but the dissolution of Al has the opposite effect.

KEYWORDS:

• Surface components
• dissolution
• flotation
• spodumene
• silicates

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank the financial supports by the National Natural Science Foundation Project of China (No. 51674290; No. 91962223). Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Calcium-containing Mineral Resources (No. 2018TP1002).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Calcium-containing Mineral Resources [No. 2018TP1002]; National Natural Science Foundation Project of China [No. 51674290,No. 91962223].