WANG Fan-fei, FENG Qi-ming, WANG Wei-qing, HUANG Yang

(School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China)

Abstract: We investigated the effect of flotation conditions on the separating efficiency and adsorbing behaviors of quartz and feldspar with DDA and SDS as an anion-cation mixed surfactant using pure mineral samples to test flotation, Zeta potential and pyrene fluorescence. Results of the pure mineral flotation show that the hydrophobicity of feldspar is stronger than that of quartz in same measured quantity. Zeta potential tests indicate that the Zeta potential is determined by cations when DDA∶SDS=1∶1, while determined by anions when DDA∶SDS=1∶2 and 1∶3,. Pyrene fluorescence, under the condition of pH=2.0, shows that there is a negative correlation between surface polarity and quantity in lower quantities of mixed surfactant. When DDA∶SDS=1∶1 and solution is 4×10^-4 mol/L, the mineral surface begins to form micelles, and the micelles form on the surface of feldspar are much lower than those on quartz. When DDA∶SDS=1∶2 and 1∶3, micelles of feldspar increases, while quartz unable to form micelles under the experimental conditions. In general, the hydrophobicity of feldspar is stronger than that of quartz under certain conditions of anion-cation mixed surfactant.