Flotation behavior and mechanism of calcium carbonate polymorphs with sodium oleate as collector

Flotation behavior of calcite and aragonite with a sodium oleate collector was studied. The mechanism for the difference in flotation recovery and kinetics of the two minerals was analyzed via adsorption quantity, microcalorimetry, flotation diffraction method, and calculation of unsaturated bond density on mineral exposed planes. Results showed that the flotation recovery and rate of aragonite was higher than those of calcite. The adsorption quantity and rate of sodium oleate on the surface of aragonite was higher than that with calcite. The adsorption heat of sodium oleate with aragonite was higher than calcite, The order of the unsaturated bond densities of calcium points on the exposed planes of calcite and aragonite were (012)(calcite) > (018)(calcite) > (104)(calcite) > (020)(aragonite) > (111)(aragonite) > (220)(aragonite). The unsaturated bond density of calcium points on the exposed planes of aragonite were less than those of the calcite exposed planes. Sodium oleate could more easily overcome water molecules when it interacted with aragonite. Thus, the flotation recovery and rate of aragonite was higher than that of calcite. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The flotation behavior of calcite and aragonite was investigated, and it was found that aragonite had higher flotation recovery and rate compared to calcite. The adsorption quantity and rate of sodium oleate on the surface of aragonite were also higher than those on calcite. The density of unsaturated bonds on the exposed planes of aragonite was lower than that of calcite.