Utilization of DTAB as a collector for the reverse flotation separation of quartz from fluorapatite

Reverse flotation desilication is an indispensable step for obtaining high-grade fluorapatite. In this work, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) is recommended as an efficient collector for the reverse flotation separation of quartz from fluorapatite. Its collectivity for quartz and selectivity for fluorapatite were also compared with figures corresponding to the conventional collector dodecylamine hydrochloride (DAC) via microflotation experiments. The adsorption behaviors of DTAB and DAC on minerals were systematically investigated with surface chemical analyses, such as contact angle determination, zeta potential detection, and adsorption density measurement. The results revealed that compared to DAC, DTAB displayed a similar and strong collectivity for quartz, and it showed a better selectivity (or worse collectivity) for fluorapatite, resulting in a high-efficiency separation of the two minerals. The surface chemical analysis results showed that the adsorption ability of DTAB on the quartz surface was as strong as that of DAC, whereas the adsorption amount of DTAB on the fluorapatite surface was much lower than that of DAC, which is associated with the flotation performance. During the floatation separation of the actual ore, 8wt% fluorapatite with a higher grade can be obtained using DTAB in contrast to DAC. Therefore, DTAB is a promising collector for the high-efficiency purification and sustainable utilization of valuable fluorapatite recourses.