Enhanced flotation separation of spodumene and albite was achieved by utilizing sodium oleate as collector and activating the process with an Fe2+/PMS system

Spodumene is often associated with albite, and their similar physicochemical properties render conventional collectors ineffective for achieving selective flotation separation. This study introduces a Fe 2+ /PMS Fenton-like system to selectively enhance the adsorption of NaOL onto the spodumene surface, thereby enlarging the floatability difference between the two minerals and enabling their separation. Single-mineral flotation tests demonstrated that under optimal conditions (pH 9, NaOL dosage 8 × 10 -4 mol/L, and Fe 2+ /PMS dosage 2 × 10 -4 mol/L with a Fe 2+ :PMS molar ratio of 1:3), the recoveries of spodumene and albite were 92.37% and 8.64%, respectively. Flotation experiments on an artificial mixed mineral (spodumene:albite = 1:3) yielded a spodumene concentrate with a Li 2 O grade of 6.73% and a recovery of 88.17%. The separation mechanism was elucidated through contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM), zeta potential analysis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that the Fe 2+ /PMS system selectively generates reactive oxygen species (SO 4 • − and •OH) on the spodumene surface. These species oxidize Fe 2+ to Fe 3+ , leading to the adsorption of more Fe 3+ species on spodumene which subsequently act as active sites for oleate anion adsorption. In contrast, the system exhibited a comparatively minor effect on the albite surface. This work provides a novel reagent approach and a theoretical foundation for the flotation separation of spodumene from albite.