XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 1983
weaker negative charge on the quartz surface. With increas-
ing pH, the -Si-O-H continuously ionizes to form -Si-O–,
enhancing the negative charge on the quartz surface [18].
After adding CM-CS-3 and CM-TS-1, there is a slight
change in the zeta potential of the quartz surface, indicating
that CM-CS-3 and CM-TS-1 do not adsorb onto quartz.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, two starch reagents were developed to enhance
the magnetic recovery of ultrafine specularite. The main
conclusions are drawn as follows.
1. The carboxymethylation modification of floccu-
lants showed that the optimal substitution degree
of corn starch and cassava starch was 59.40 and
79.08%, respectively. Cassava starch exhibited
excellent carboxymethylation. The average molec-
ular weights of the two reagents were 1607 and
382009, respectively.
2. Through flocculant screening, CM-CS-3 and
CM-TS-1 showed a superior flocculation effect.
The recovery of ultrafine specularite in magnetic
separation was 92.55% and 91.26%, respectively.
Compared with non-flocculation, the recov-
ery increased by more than 16%. CM-CS-3 and
CM-TS-1 can increase the recovery of iron of
specularite-quartz binary mixed ore by 16.9%
and 23.9%, iron grade by 3.78% and 6.34%, and
beneficiation efficiency by 17.07% and 23.47%,
respectively, indicating that the selectivity of
CM-TS-1 is better than that of CM-CS-3.
3. FTIR and Zeta potential analyses revealed that the
flocculant mainly acted on the surface of specu-
larite through hydrogen bonding and chemical
adsorption and realized the selective agglomeration
of specularite without acting on quartz. By observ-
ing the microscopic morphology, it was found that
the specularite was irregularly flocculated, and
trace quartz particles were easily interspersed in the
specularite flocs.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge and appreciate the finan-
cial support from the Natural Science Foundation of China
(Grant No. 519740068), National Youth Foundation of
China (Grant No. 51604064), the Fundamental Research
Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 180115008).
REFERENCES
[1] K. Quast, Literature review on the use of natural
products in the flotation of iron oxide ores, Miner.
Eng., 108 (2017) 12–24.
[2] Q. Zhang, Y. Sun, S. Wang, Y. Han, W. Li, Y. Li,
Whether magnetization roasting requires complete
phase reconstruction of iron minerals: A study of
phase transition and microstructure evolution,
Powder Technol., 411 (2022) 117934.
[3] X. Zhang, X. Gu, Y. Han, N. Parra-Álvarez, V.
Claremboux, S.K. Kawatra, Flotation of Iron Ores: A
Review, Miner. Process Extr. Metall. Rev., 42 (2021)
184–212.
Figure 9. Zeta potential of specularite (a) and quartz (b) and the variations after adding starch agents
weaker negative charge on the quartz surface. With increas-
ing pH, the -Si-O-H continuously ionizes to form -Si-O–,
enhancing the negative charge on the quartz surface [18].
After adding CM-CS-3 and CM-TS-1, there is a slight
change in the zeta potential of the quartz surface, indicating
that CM-CS-3 and CM-TS-1 do not adsorb onto quartz.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, two starch reagents were developed to enhance
the magnetic recovery of ultrafine specularite. The main
conclusions are drawn as follows.
1. The carboxymethylation modification of floccu-
lants showed that the optimal substitution degree
of corn starch and cassava starch was 59.40 and
79.08%, respectively. Cassava starch exhibited
excellent carboxymethylation. The average molec-
ular weights of the two reagents were 1607 and
382009, respectively.
2. Through flocculant screening, CM-CS-3 and
CM-TS-1 showed a superior flocculation effect.
The recovery of ultrafine specularite in magnetic
separation was 92.55% and 91.26%, respectively.
Compared with non-flocculation, the recov-
ery increased by more than 16%. CM-CS-3 and
CM-TS-1 can increase the recovery of iron of
specularite-quartz binary mixed ore by 16.9%
and 23.9%, iron grade by 3.78% and 6.34%, and
beneficiation efficiency by 17.07% and 23.47%,
respectively, indicating that the selectivity of
CM-TS-1 is better than that of CM-CS-3.
3. FTIR and Zeta potential analyses revealed that the
flocculant mainly acted on the surface of specu-
larite through hydrogen bonding and chemical
adsorption and realized the selective agglomeration
of specularite without acting on quartz. By observ-
ing the microscopic morphology, it was found that
the specularite was irregularly flocculated, and
trace quartz particles were easily interspersed in the
specularite flocs.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge and appreciate the finan-
cial support from the Natural Science Foundation of China
(Grant No. 519740068), National Youth Foundation of
China (Grant No. 51604064), the Fundamental Research
Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 180115008).
REFERENCES
[1] K. Quast, Literature review on the use of natural
products in the flotation of iron oxide ores, Miner.
Eng., 108 (2017) 12–24.
[2] Q. Zhang, Y. Sun, S. Wang, Y. Han, W. Li, Y. Li,
Whether magnetization roasting requires complete
phase reconstruction of iron minerals: A study of
phase transition and microstructure evolution,
Powder Technol., 411 (2022) 117934.
[3] X. Zhang, X. Gu, Y. Han, N. Parra-Álvarez, V.
Claremboux, S.K. Kawatra, Flotation of Iron Ores: A
Review, Miner. Process Extr. Metall. Rev., 42 (2021)
184–212.
Figure 9. Zeta potential of specularite (a) and quartz (b) and the variations after adding starch agents