Influence of montmorillonite hydration and delamination on coal flotation
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Qi Liu 1
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1
China University of Mining & Technology
 
 
Publication date: 2022-08-30
 
 
Corresponding author
Mingqing Zhang   

China University of Mining & Technology
 
 
Physicochem. Probl. Miner. Process. 2022;58(6):153085
 
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ABSTRACT
In this study, the influence of montmorillonite (MT) hydration and delamination on coal flotation was investigated through flotation tests using coal-MT mixtures. MT particles were subjected to hydration at different time intervals. The Fuerstenau upgrading curve was plotted to evaluate the change in overall flotation selectivity. The zeta potential and particle size distribution were used to characterize the delamination behavior of MT in deionized water at natural pH level. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) (colloidal probe) was used to analyze the interaction force between coal and MT particles. It was found that smaller particles (individual silicate layers or thin packets of layers) with higher zeta potentials appeared gradually, and their volume proportion increased with increasing hydration time. AFM results showed that a monotonous repulsive force was detected consistently throughout the separation distance between coal and these emerging smaller MT particles. The decrease of these MT coating on coal surface was responsible for the higher flotation recovery and better selectivity. A jump-into-contact phenomenon was observed in coal and MT interaction when MT hydrated incompletely. It showed that heterocoagulation between coal and MT occurred and MT coating on the coal surface was responsible for the depression of flotation.
eISSN:2084-4735
ISSN:1643-1049
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