Effect and mechanism of octanol in cassiterite flotation using benzohydroxamic acid as collector

The effect of octanol in cassiterite flotation using benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) as a collector was investigated. The adsorption mechanism of octanol and BHA on the surface of cassiterite was analyzed by adsorption experiments and infrared spectra analysis. Micro-flotation results indicated that single octanol exhibited almost no collecting power to cassiterite over a wide pH range. However, as an auxiliary collector, octanol could markedly decrease the consumption of collector BHA and keep the recovery of cassiterite in high level. The results of adsorption experiments and infrared spectra demonstrated that single octanol was not adsorbed on the surface of cassiterite. It formed adsorption connected with BHA on the surface of cassiterite, and enhanced the hydrophobicity of cassiterite. Octanol promoted the adsorption amount of BHA on the cassiterite surface, and decreased the consumption of BHA.