Flotation separation of dolomite and brucite via selective adsorption of the inhibitor tetrasodium hydroxyethylphosphate

Herein, the flotation separation of dolomite and brucite was performed using tetrasodium hydroxyethylphosphate (TH) as the inhibitor. Microflotation tests show that for a sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) concentration of 30 mg/L, 100 mg/L of TH can achieve the maximum flotation separation of 73.91% between brucite and dolomite. Moreover, the flotation recovery of dolomite is selectively reduced by a considerable amount. Detection results show that the wettability and charge of dolomite are higher than those of brucite owing to the selective adsorption of TH. Moreover, on the dolomite surface, the strong adsorption of TH interferes with SDS adsorption. Additionally, TH selectively binds to the exposed Ca sites on the dolomite surface, hindering SDS adsorption and resulting in poor dolomite floatability. The selective adsorption of TH on the dolomite surface enhances the flotation separation of dolomite and brucite.

Automated summary

In this study, flotation separation of dolomite and brucite was achieved using TH as the inhibitor. The selective adsorption of TH increased the wettability and charge of dolomite, interfering with SDS adsorption and enhancing the flotation separation of dolomite and brucite.