Frother partitioning in dual-frother systems: Development of analytical technique

Dual-frother blends are becoming popular in flotation practice. There is no work showing how frothers in the blend partition between the pulp and froth zones. In this paper two methods, high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a novel proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) associated with total organic carbon analysis (TOC) are developed to determine partitioning in alcohol/polyglycol blends. In two-phase air–water tests using a bubble column partitioning with three blends is examined. Two examples show strong partitioning of alcohol which corresponds to reported cases of these blends giving an increase in bubble size.

► Dual frother blends
► Alcohols and polyglycols
► Partitioning to froth
► Analysis: HPLC and NMR plus TOC