Contents

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 1
1.1 Brief History of Research and Application of Flotation
and Reagents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 1
1.2 Classication and Signicance of Flotation Reagents . . . . . .... 4
1.2.1 Classication of Flotation Reagents According
to Their Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 4
1.2.2 Classication of Flotation Reagents According
to Their Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 5
1.2.3 Classication of Flotation Reagents According
to Their Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 5
1.2.4 Classication of Flotation Reagents According
to Their Chemical Constituents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 5
1.2.5 Classication of Flotation Reagents According
to Characteristics of Coordination Chemistry . . . . .... 7
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 8
2 Interaction Between Minerals and Reagents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1 Various Theories on Interaction Between Collectors
and Minerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1.1 Main Interactions Between Collector and Mineral . . . . . 9
2.1.2 Adsorption Models of Collector on Mineral . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2 Adsorption Equation of Flotation Reagent on Mineral
Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.2.1 Adsorption Isotherm Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.2.2 Adsorption Isotherm of Flotation Reagent
on Mineral Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.2.3 Adsorption Kinetics Equation of Flotation Reagent
on Mineral Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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2.3 Structure of Adsorption Film and Flotation Behavior

of Mineral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.3.1 Structure of Adsorbed Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.3.2 Relationship of Collector Adsorption and Mineral
Flotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.4 Mineral Structure, Bonding Characteristics, and the Reaction
of Reagents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.4.1 Geochemical Classication of Mineral Elements
and Their Interaction With reagent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.4.2 Structure and Valence Bond of Mineral and Their
Reactions with Reagents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3 Structure and Property of Polar Group of Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.1 Structural Characteristics of Collector Molecule and
Independent Effect of Chemical Groups Belong to Surface
Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.2 Effect of Polar Group Structure on Dissociation of Reagent
and Adsorption in Electrical Double Layer of Mineral
Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.2.1 Dissociation of Collector and Its Flotation Function . . . 40
3.2.2 Zero Charge Point of Mineral and Dissociation
Constant of Collector, and Their Interrelation
in Flotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.2.3 Adsorption of Amphoteric Collector in Electric
Double Layer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.2.4 Effect of Polar Group Structure on Dissociation
of Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.3 Molecular Structure of Nonionic Reagent and Adsorption
by van der Waals Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.3.1 van der Waals Force Between Collector Molecules . . . . 53
3.3.2 Relation between Reagent Molecular Structure
and van der Waals Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
3.3.3 Hydrogen Bonding Adsorption of Reagent . . . . . . . . . . 56
3.4 Polar Group Structure and Chemisorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3.4.1 Common Solidophilic Atoms in Polar Group . . . . . . . . 58
3.4.2 Bonding Capability of Solidophilic Atoms . . . . . . . . . . 60
3.5 Inductive Effect in Polar Group of Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3.5.1 Introduction of Inductive Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3.5.2 Inductive Effect in Xanthate Molecule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3.5.3 Inductive Effect in Thionocarbamates Molecule
as Collector [9] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3.5.4 Inductive Effect in Aerooat Collector Molecule . . . . . . 67