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    Selective flotation separation of hemimorphite from quartz using the biosurfactant sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate as a novel collector

    Year: 2023

    Journal: Minerals Engineering, Volume 198, 2023-07-01, page 108073

    Authors: Jia, Kai; Lu, Yuhang; Liu, Jiang; Cheng, Shun; Liu, Shiqiang; Cao, Yijun; Li, Guosheng

    Keywords: Flotation; Collector; Hemimorphite; Quartz; Sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate

    The biosurfactant sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate (LS) was used as a new green collector to improve the efficiency of recovery of hemimorphite from quartz by flotation. Microflotation tests were conducted to determine the flotation performance. The mechanism of LS adsorption on the mineral surface was analyzed by surface tension, contact angle measurements, zeta potential analysis, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The flotation results showed that LS exerted high selectivity for hemimorphite, and flotation separation of hemimorphite from quartz was achieved at an LS concentration of 3.4 × 10−4 mol/L and a pulp pH of 7. In contrast to sodium oleate (NaOL), LS exhibited a higher Gaudin’s selectivity index (SI) of 67.58 under the optimal conditions, whereas the SI of NaOL remained at approximately 5 throughout the pH range of flotation. Due to the presence of the amide group and the shorter length of the carbon chain, LS is more soluble than NaOL and less prone to micelle formation, which has a positive effect on flotation. The contact angle and zeta potential results clearly demonstrated that LS adsorbed selectively on hemimorphite but hardly on quartz surfaces. ATR-FTIR results showed possible chemisorption of LS to mineral surfaces through the interaction of carboxyl groups with hemimorphite. The XPS results demonstrated that LS chemisorbed to Zn sites on the surface of hemimorphite through the formation of C(=O)-O-Zn linkages. The DFT results further indicated that the two O atoms of the carboxyl group in LS were bonded to Zn and H and adsorbed as bidentate bonding structures on the hemimorphite surface. The present study fully demonstrates that LS has a good flotation selectivity for hemimorphite and holds great potential for industrial applications in the flotation separation of hemimorphite from quartz.
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