Frothers

The latter surfactants are customarily referred to as frothers, but their frothing abilities are not the most important characteristic. 

R = alkyl with 5 to 8 carbon atoms Methyl-/so-butyl carbinol (MIBC) 

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Flotation agents Flotation frothers Flotation reagents Flo to flocculation Flour... 

ALCOHOLS,HIGHERALIPHATIC - SURVEY AND NATURALALCOHOLSMANUFACTURE] (Voll) -as flotation frother [FLOTATION] (Vol 11)... 

Flotation reagents are used in the froth flotation process to (/) enhance hydrophobicity, (2) control selectivity, (J) enhance recovery and grade, and (4) affect the velocity (kinetics) of the separation process. These chemicals are classified based on utili2ation collector, frother, auxiUary reagent, or based on reagent chemistry polar, nonpolar, and anionic, cationic, nonionic, and amphoteric. The active groups of the reagent molecules are typically carboxylates, xanthates, sulfates or sulfonates, and ammonium salts. 

Table 4. Examples of Flotation Frothers Widely Utilized in the Minerals Industry...

Interaction of Solids With Flotation Reagents. For flotation to occur with the aid of reagents, such compounds must adsorb at the sohd—hquid interface unless the soHd to be floated is naturally hydrophobic. In this latter case only depression can be attempted by the use of additional ions or depressants that hinder bubble—particle adhesion. Frothers (typically long-chain alcohols) and/or modifying agents such as hydrocarbon oils can, however, be used to enhance the collection of naturally hydrophobic soflds such as M0S2, talc, or plastics. 

Flotation. Tallow amines contain small amounts of short-chain compounds, eg, the octyl, lauryl, and myristyl (C ) groups. These amines usually produce enough froth for the flotation. Small quantities of specialized synthetic alcohols, eg, Dowfroth P, are frequentiy added to the flotation system to supplement the natural frothers. The quantities of the reagents used ia potash flotation plants are Hsted ia Table 5. 

Table 8 summarizes domestic consumption by use for amyl alcohols. About 55% of the total 1-pentanol and 2-methyl-1-butanol production is used for zinc diamyldithiophosphate lubrication oil additives (150) as important corrosion inhibitors and antiwear additives. Amyl xanthate salts are useful as frothers in the flotation of metal ores because of their low water solubiUty and miscibility with phenoHcs and natural oils. Potassium amyl xanthate, a collector in flotation of copper, lead, and zinc ores, is no longer produced in the United States, but imports from Germany and Yugoslavia were 910 —1100 t in 1989 (150). 

There is some beneficiation of talc by froth flotation (qv), practiced especially on ultramafic-type deposits. In this process (Fig. 2), talc is milled to its hberation size (—100 mesh (ca 0.15 mm)) using ball mills or ring-type roUer mills and then slurried at 10—30% in water. Flotation is done in conventional multistage float cells using methyl amyl alcohol as a frother. Typically two to four stages are required to upgrade the ore from 50—70% talc to 90—98%. The product is filtered and then flash-dried and milled to a final product. 

Sulfide Ores ores. In the Zairian ores, cobalt sulfide as carroUite is mixed with chalcopyrite and chalcocite [21112-20-9]. For processing, the ore is finely ground and the sulfides are separated by flotation (qv) using frothers. The resulting products are leached with dilute sulfuric acid to give a copper—cobalt concentrate that is then used as a charge in an electrolytic cell to remove the copper. Because the electrolyte becomes enriched with cobalt, solution from the copper circuit is added to maintain a desirable copper concentration level. After several more steps to remove copper, iron, and aluminum, the solution is treated with milk of lime to precipitate the cobalt as the hydroxide. 

The pH of the pulp to the flotation cells is carefliUy controlled by the addition of lime, which optimizes the action of all reagents and is used to depress pyrite. A frother, such as pine oil or a long-chain alcohol, is added to produce the froth, an important part of the flotation process. The ore minerals, coated with an oily collected layer, are hydrophobic and collect on the air bubbles the desired minerals float while the gangue sinks. Typical collectors are xanthates, dithiophosphates, or xanthate derivatives, whereas typical depressants are calcium or sodium cyanide [143-33-9] NaCN, andlime. 

Flotation Reagents. Three types of chemical reagents are used during the froth flotation process collectors, frothers, and modifiers. 

Frothers. These are also surface-active agents added to the flotation pulp primarily to stabilize the air bubbles for effective particle-bubble attachment, cariyover of particle-laden bubbles to the froth. 

FIG. 19-66 Schematics of (a) collector adsorption at the particle-water interface and (h) action of the frother. 

Actually, the successful use of cationic surfactants (cSurf), as flotation reagents, frothers, metal corrosion inhibitors, pharmaceutical products, cosmetic materials, stimulates considerable increase in their production and as a result increases their content in natural water. As cationic surfactants are toxic pollutants in natural water and their maximum contaminant level (MCL) of natural water is 0.15-4.0 mg/dm, it is necessary to use methods for which provide rapid and reliable determination with sensitivity equal to at least 0.1 of MCL. Practically most sensitive methods of cationic surfactant determination include the preconcentration by extraction or sorption. Analytical methods without using organic solvents are more preferable due to their ecological safety. 

This part of the presentation embodies first a general treatment on surfactants followed by the elaboration of frothers, collectors and regulators. The text subsequently involves the area of sulfide flotation, which occupies a premier position in the field of flotation. The section is completed with some important examples of flotation of sulfides. The final section is devoted to natural hydrophobicity which, on its own accord constitutes an important and interesting area in the field of flotation. 

The frother should not in itself be a strong collector, especially of minerals meant for drowning. It should work in the presence of the other reagents necessary for flotation. The frothers must be soluble in water to some extent otherwise they would be distributed very unevenly in an aqueous solution, with the result that their surface activity would not be fully effective or exploited. There are three main groups of reagents employed by the mineral industry as frothers (Figure 2.24) these different groups include aliphatic alcohols (me-... 

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