Selective Separation of Scheelite from Calcite by Self-Assembly of H2SiO3 Polymer Using Al3+ in Pb-BHA Flotation

The flotation separation of scheelite from calcite is problematic, where sodium silicate modified by polyvalent metal ions has shown some advantages for selective depression. In this study, an Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer was used as the depressant for the flotation separation of scheelite from calcite using a lead complex of benzohydroxamic acid (Pb-BHA) as the collector. Furthermore, a number of measurements were conducted to investigate the structure of the Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer and its adsorption behavior with Pb-BHA complexes on the mineral surface. Flotation experiments indicated that the Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer shows good selectivity for the flotation separation of scheelite from calcite at pH 8, where the optimum ratio of sodium silicate to aluminum sulfate was 2:1. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) and solution chemical analyses revealed that aluminum hydroxide complexes and the hydroxy moiety of silicic acid are able to self-assemble via condensation affording an Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer, i.e., a composite aluminosilicate polymer. The zeta potential measurements and adsorption capacity measurements indicated that, upon adsorption of the Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer and Pb-BHA complexes on the mineral surface, the Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer had less influence on the adsorption of Pb-BHA complexes on the scheelite surface, while the opposite was true for calcite. Therefore, more Pb-BHA complexes and fewer Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymers were deposited on the scheelite surface, while fewer Pb-BHA complexes and more Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymers were adsorbed on the calcite surface. The selective separation of scheelite from calcite was attributed to the cooperative selectivity of the Pb-BHA complexes and Al-Na 2SiO 3 polymer. View Full-Tex