Garnet in the flotation of fine-grained lepidolite: Strengthening role and action mechanism

The flotation recovery of fine-grained lepidolite is crucial for the efficient utilization of lithium resources. This study investigated the strengthening effect of the hydrophilic mineral garnet on the flotation of fine-grained lepidolite and explored its mechanism from the perspectives of mineral dissolution and slurry rheology. The flotation results showed that garnet particles significantly enhanced the flotation recovery of fine-grained lepidolite, achieving a maximum recovery of 85.41 % under optimal conditions. The results of infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirmed the absence of collector adsorption on garnet surfaces, eliminating competitive consumption of Dodecylamine(DDA)/Sodium dodecyl sulfonate (NaOl) reagents. The results of Zeta potential tests revealed that the ion dissolution on the surface of garnet increased the surface potential of lepidolite. Besides, the Al ions dissolved from the surface of garnet might promote the flotation of lepidolite. The rheological tests of the slurry demonstrated that under the combined action of the collector and coarse-grained garnet, the flocculation of fine-grained lepidolite was promoted, thereby strengthening the flotation recovery of fine-grained lepidolite. The findings provide novel approach and offers insights for optimizing the flotation process of fine-grained lepidolite.