Physicochemical aspects of allanite flotation

This paper investigated the physicochemical properties of allanite, a RE-silicate, by measuring zeta potential in the absence and presence of three different flotation collectors (benzohydroxamic acid, sodium oleate and dodecylamine). This data was then verified by microflotation experiments and with bubble-particle attachment pictures. The investigated properties of allanite were compared to those of quartz, a common gangue mineral in many RE deposits. The results of this work indicated that only dodecylamine was able to achieve a selective separation of allanite and quartz. This was accomplished by lowering the dodecylamine dosage so that only quartz was recovered by microflotation.

Bubble-particle attachment photos of allanite and quartz (38–106 μm) at pH 7. Bubbles produced at a capillary with a 3.8 mm inner diameterFigure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide