The performance and adsorption mechanism of a novel collector, dodecyl dimethyl betaine (Bs‐12), for the flotation separation of ilmenite and titanaugite

Abstract

In this paper, a novel collector, dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS‐12), was used in the selective separation of ilmenite from titanaugite. The flotation performance and associated adsorption mechanism were studied by micro‐flotation experiments, particle size analysis, Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy analysis, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The micro‐flotation results indicated that BS‐12 exhibited a stronger collecting ability towards ilmenite than titanaugite within an acidic pH range, and that the recovery of ilmenite was about 50% higher than that of titanaugite under the optimum flotation conditions. Particle size analysis demonstrated that BS‐12 could selectively agglomerate ilmenite to a certain extent and then contribute to the flotation difference between ilmenite and titanaugite. FT‐IR results showed some characteristic bands of BS‐12 on treated ilmenite, and on titanaugite with BS‐12. The XPS analysis further confirmed that BS‐12 chemisorbed onto ilmenite and titanaugite in a similar way, but the limited active sites on titanaugite in comparison with ilmenite accounted for their differences in flotation.