XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 2195
nickel (nickel ions), under such experimental conditions,
the flotation separation of pentlandite from nickel sulfides
does not perform well (Bremmell et al., 2005 Peng et al.,
2011 Xia et al., 2012).
Zeta Potential Analysis
Zeta potential analysis of suspensions of mineral samples
in the presence of activator CuSO4 prepared by different
solutions are displayed in Figure 10. The bubble-particle
attachment processes during flotation can be significantly
impacted by the zeta potential of particles because the
charge on particles and bubbles affect the electrostatic inter-
actions with each other. As can be seen from Figure 10 (a),
with the addition of CuSO4, the zeta potential of pentland-
ite suspension increases, while the zeta potential of lizardite
suspension decreases. In Figure 10 (b), the zeta potential of
pentlandite suspension increases with the increase of pH
from 3 (strong acidic) to 7 (pH neutral), then decreases
with further increasing the pH to 11 among all pH values
tested, while the zeta potential of prepared lizardite suspen-
sion keeps decreasing with the increase of pH from 3 to 11,
and is similar in the weak acidic, pH neutral and weak basic
experimental conditions. When the tested pH is 9 and 11,
the zeta potential of pentlandite and lizardite suspensions
are similar.
Zeta potential measurements of suspensions of mineral
samples in the presence of activator CuSO4 prepared by
the CaCl2 solution with different molar concentrations are
displayed in Figure 11. The zeta potential of pentlandite
suspension decreases with the increase of CaCl2 concentra-
tion from 0 to 0.01 mol/L and then increases with further
increasing the molar concentration of CaCl2 to 1 mol/L
among all concentrations tested, while the zeta potential
of lizardite suspension increases with the increase of CaCl2
concentration from 0 to 0.01 mol/L and then decreases
with further increasing the molar concentration of CaCl2
to 1 mol/L among all concentrations tested. The CaCl2
molar concentration of 0.01 mol/L is a turning point for
the zeta potential measurement, which agrees with the
microflotation performance of pentlandite and lizardite
in the presence of CaCl2 solutions with different molar
concentrations.
uC+knalB uC-knalB
25
20
15
10
5
0
5
10
15
20
Pentlandite
Lizardite
Different Solution
(a)
pH3 pH5 pH7 pH9 pH11
50
40
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
pH
Pentlandite
Lizardite
(b)
Figure 10. Zeta potential of suspensions of mineral samples prepared by deionized water in the absence/presence of activator
CuSO
4 (a), and suspensions of mineral samples prepared by acidic, basic and pH neutral solutions in the presence of CuSO
4 activator (b). The error bar stands for a standard error of the mean of four independent runs
Blank Ca0.001 Ca0.01 Ca0.1 Ca1
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
40
Concentration (mol/L)
Pentlandite
Lizardite
Figure 11. Zeta potential of suspensions of mineral samples
in the presence of CaCl
2 solution with different molar
concentrations. The error bar stands for a standard error of
the mean of four independent runs
Zeta
pot
tial
(mV)
Zeta
potential
(mV)
Zeta
pot
tial
(mV)
nickel (nickel ions), under such experimental conditions,
the flotation separation of pentlandite from nickel sulfides
does not perform well (Bremmell et al., 2005 Peng et al.,
2011 Xia et al., 2012).
Zeta Potential Analysis
Zeta potential analysis of suspensions of mineral samples
in the presence of activator CuSO4 prepared by different
solutions are displayed in Figure 10. The bubble-particle
attachment processes during flotation can be significantly
impacted by the zeta potential of particles because the
charge on particles and bubbles affect the electrostatic inter-
actions with each other. As can be seen from Figure 10 (a),
with the addition of CuSO4, the zeta potential of pentland-
ite suspension increases, while the zeta potential of lizardite
suspension decreases. In Figure 10 (b), the zeta potential of
pentlandite suspension increases with the increase of pH
from 3 (strong acidic) to 7 (pH neutral), then decreases
with further increasing the pH to 11 among all pH values
tested, while the zeta potential of prepared lizardite suspen-
sion keeps decreasing with the increase of pH from 3 to 11,
and is similar in the weak acidic, pH neutral and weak basic
experimental conditions. When the tested pH is 9 and 11,
the zeta potential of pentlandite and lizardite suspensions
are similar.
Zeta potential measurements of suspensions of mineral
samples in the presence of activator CuSO4 prepared by
the CaCl2 solution with different molar concentrations are
displayed in Figure 11. The zeta potential of pentlandite
suspension decreases with the increase of CaCl2 concentra-
tion from 0 to 0.01 mol/L and then increases with further
increasing the molar concentration of CaCl2 to 1 mol/L
among all concentrations tested, while the zeta potential
of lizardite suspension increases with the increase of CaCl2
concentration from 0 to 0.01 mol/L and then decreases
with further increasing the molar concentration of CaCl2
to 1 mol/L among all concentrations tested. The CaCl2
molar concentration of 0.01 mol/L is a turning point for
the zeta potential measurement, which agrees with the
microflotation performance of pentlandite and lizardite
in the presence of CaCl2 solutions with different molar
concentrations.
uC+knalB uC-knalB
25
20
15
10
5
0
5
10
15
20
Pentlandite
Lizardite
Different Solution
(a)
pH3 pH5 pH7 pH9 pH11
50
40
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
pH
Pentlandite
Lizardite
(b)
Figure 10. Zeta potential of suspensions of mineral samples prepared by deionized water in the absence/presence of activator
CuSO
4 (a), and suspensions of mineral samples prepared by acidic, basic and pH neutral solutions in the presence of CuSO
4 activator (b). The error bar stands for a standard error of the mean of four independent runs
Blank Ca0.001 Ca0.01 Ca0.1 Ca1
30
20
10
0
10
20
30
40
Concentration (mol/L)
Pentlandite
Lizardite
Figure 11. Zeta potential of suspensions of mineral samples
in the presence of CaCl
2 solution with different molar
concentrations. The error bar stands for a standard error of
the mean of four independent runs
Zeta
pot
tial
(mV)
Zeta
potential
(mV)
Zeta
pot
tial
(mV)