Synergistic mechanism of metal ions and sodium N-oleoylsarcosinate on flotation separation of lepidolite from feldspar
(1. School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
2. Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Clean and Efficient Utilization of Strategic Calcium-containing Mineral Resources, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
3. Hunan International Joint Research Centre for Efficient and Clean Utilization of Critical Metal Mineral Resources, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
4. Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Carbon Emission Reduction in Metal Resource Exploitation and Utilization, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China)
2. Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Clean and Efficient Utilization of Strategic Calcium-containing Mineral Resources, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
3. Hunan International Joint Research Centre for Efficient and Clean Utilization of Critical Metal Mineral Resources, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
4. Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Carbon Emission Reduction in Metal Resource Exploitation and Utilization, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China)
Abstract: The combined reagents of sodium N-oleoylsarcosinate (SNOS) with metal ions (Ca(II), Mg(II), Cu(II), and Pb(II)) was employed to facilitate the separation of lepidolite from feldspar. The synergistic interaction mechanism of this combined reagent was systematically investigated via contact angle measurements, AFM, FTIR, species distribution calculations, and DFT calculations. The results suggested that Ca(II) exhibited the best selectivity for activating lepidolite flotation. SNOS was chemically adsorbed on the Ca(II)-activated lepidolite surface with an adsorption energy of -1248.91 kJ/mol while a lower adsorption energy of -598.84 kJ/mol of SNOS on Ca(II)-activated feldspar was calculated. Therefore, this combination of SNOS and Ca(II) is a promising reagent scheme for the efficient recovery of lithium from aluminosilicate ore.
Key words: flotation; lepidolite; feldspar; sodium N-oleoylsarcosinate; metal ions