Research process of mineral interface hydration properties in flotation process

The adsorption of water molecules on the mineral surface affects the physicochemical properties of the mineral surface, reduces the selectivity of the trap in the flotation process, and increases the difficulty of separating the target minerals from the vein minerals. The hydration of the mineral surface is the water molecules by hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, and other weak interactions on the mineral surface to form a water molecule layer with a certain structure. In this paper, we review the testing and characterization methods of water molecules and hydration layer at the mineral interface, analyze the hydration mechanism at the interface of silicate ores (including illite, montmorillonite, mica, etc.) and sulfide ores (galena, pyrite, etc.), and summarize the regulation methods of hydration layer at the mineral interface, to provide references for the in-depth study of the hydration characteristics of mineral interfaces, to improve the selectivity of the agents under the mineral-water system, and to achieve the high-efficiency flotation separation of minerals. © 2024 Central South University of Technology. All rights reserved.