Propyl gallate: A novel collector for flotation separation of fluorite from calcite

In real flotation systems, the flotation separation of fluorite from calcite is a challenge due to the similar surface properties of these two minerals. The purpose of this paper is to develop a highly selective flotation collector for the separation. Propyl gallate (PG) was introduced as a collector for selective flotation separation of fluorite from calcite. The separation of fluorite from calcite without using any depressant can be achieved by using PG as the collector. The flotation mechanism of fluorite and calcite was studied by zeta potential measurements, adsorption, FT-IR and XPS analysis. The results indicated that phenolic hydroxyls were the functional groups of PG which can selectively adsorb on fluorite, and the adsorption amount of PG on the surface of fluorite was larger than on calcite.