Investigation of the specularite/chlorite separation using chitosan as a novel depressant by direct flotation

Mingyang Li; Jun Liu; Yiming Hu; Xiangpeng Gao; Qidong Yuan; Fugang Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116334

Investigation of the specularite/chlorite separation using chitosan as a novel depressant by direct flotation

Carbohydr Polym. 2020 Jul 15:240:116334. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116334. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Authors

Mingyang Li¹, Jun Liu², Yiming Hu³, Xiangpeng Gao⁴, Qidong Yuan², Fugang Zhao²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Metallurgical Emission Reduction & Resources Recycling, Anhui University of Technology, Ministry of Education, 243002, Maanshan, Anhui, China; School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui, 243032, China.
² Sinosteel Maanshan Institute of Mining Research CO., LTD, 243000, Maanshan, Anhui, China.
³ School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui, 243032, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Metallurgical Emission Reduction & Resources Recycling, Anhui University of Technology, Ministry of Education, 243002, Maanshan, Anhui, China; School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan, Anhui, 243032, China. Electronic address: gxp1992@ahut.edu.cn.

PMID: 32475590
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116334

Abstract

Chlorite is one of the representative iron-bearing silicates gangue minerals existed in the specularite ores which the traditional depressants are incapable of action in specularite/chlorite separation flotation. An attempt was conducted for the separation of specularite/chlorite with chitosan as a novel depressant through microflotation tests, Zeta potential measurements, adsorption tests, FT-IR, and XPS analysis. The microflotation results show that chitosan selectively depresses chlorite while specularite still keeps in high floatability. Zeta potential measurements and adsorption tests indicate that chitosan mainly adsorbed on chlorite surface, hindering the subsequent adsorption of dodecan-1-amine and leading the hydrophobicity distinction. The FT-IR spectra of chlorite validate the adsorption of chitosan on chlorite. The results of XPS illustrate that electrons partially transferred from chitosan to the aluminum, iron, magnesium, silicon, and adjacent oxygen atoms of silicon atoms in chlorite during the adsorption process.

Keywords: Chitosan; Chlorite; Depressant; Iron-bearing silicates; Specularite.