Next Article in Journal
Copper Bioleaching in China: Review and Prospect
Next Article in Special Issue
Near-Field Optical Examination of Potassium n-Butyl Xanthate/Chalcopyrite Flotation Products
Previous Article in Journal
Density Functional Theory and Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Oleate Functioned on Siderite Surface
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Effect of Dodecane and Oleic Acid on the Attachment between Oxidized Coal and Bubbles

1
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
2
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
3
Henan Province Industrial Technology Research Institute of Resources and Materials, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
4
Chinese National Engineering Research Center of Coal Preparation and Purification, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2018, 8(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8020029
Submission received: 13 November 2017 / Revised: 28 December 2017 / Accepted: 12 January 2018 / Published: 23 January 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Atomic Force Microscopy in Mineral Flotation)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to explain the different flotation responses observed in oxidized coal flotation when using a nonpolar flotation collector, dodecane, versus a polar flotation collector, oleic acid. Particularly, the effect of each flotation collector on bubble–coal particle attachment was investigated. Colloidal probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to directly measure the force between a model coal surface and a model bubble in the presence of either dodecane or oleic acid. Pyrolytic graphite (PG) treated with oxygen plasma and a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particle were selected to represent the model oxidized coal surface and model bubble. High speed visualization for bubble–oxidized coal attachment was used to monitor the attachment behavior between bubble and oxidized coal in presence of dodecane and oleic acid, respectively. It was found that the force between the oxidized PG and the PMMA particle in Milli-Q water was monotonically repulsive, illustrating that oxidized coal particles attach onto bubble surface with difficulty. The flotation recovery using a traditional hydrocarbon oil, dodecane, was always lower than when oleic acid was used at a low dosage (300–1100 g/t). The force measurements showed that an attractive hydrophobic force was introduced when a 0.01 mM oleic acid solution was used, while the force was still repulsive in presence of a 0.01 mM dodecane solution. The minimum contact time for successful attachment between oxidized coal surface and bubbles in the presence of 0.01 mM oleic acid is much shorter than that in 0.01 mM dodecane. However, a high flotation recovery of 85.81% was obtained when dodecane concentration was further increased to 1700 g/t. The significant jump into contact effect observed in the AFM force curves and the short induction time in the presence of 1 mM dodecane solution was responsible for this high flotation recovery.
Keywords: oxidized coal; flotation; dodecane; oleic acid; interaction force; AFM oxidized coal; flotation; dodecane; oleic acid; interaction force; AFM

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Xu, M.; Xing, Y.; Cao, Y.; Gui, X. Effect of Dodecane and Oleic Acid on the Attachment between Oxidized Coal and Bubbles. Minerals 2018, 8, 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/min8020029

AMA Style

Xu M, Xing Y, Cao Y, Gui X. Effect of Dodecane and Oleic Acid on the Attachment between Oxidized Coal and Bubbles. Minerals. 2018; 8(2):29. https://doi.org/10.3390/min8020029

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xu, Mengdi, Yaowen Xing, Yijun Cao, and Xiahui Gui. 2018. "Effect of Dodecane and Oleic Acid on the Attachment between Oxidized Coal and Bubbles" Minerals 8, no. 2: 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/min8020029

APA Style

Xu, M., Xing, Y., Cao, Y., & Gui, X. (2018). Effect of Dodecane and Oleic Acid on the Attachment between Oxidized Coal and Bubbles. Minerals, 8(2), 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/min8020029

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop