Scientific analysis of the colloid-chemical properties of a composite flotation reagent and its effect on the flotation process
Annotatsiya
This study investigates the physicochemical and colloid-chemical properties of a composite flotation reagent and evaluates its effect on copper separation during the flotation process. The surface activity of the reagent was determined using the stalagmometric method, while the critical micelle concentration (CMC) was calculated from the σ-logC dependence. Granulometric analysis was performed using the sieve method, and the structure and functional groups of the reagent were investigated by UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed that increasing the reagent concentration decreased the surface tension from 72.8 mN/m to approximately 30 mN/m. The CMC values were determined as 3.0 g/L for N-1 and 2.7 g/L for N-2. Granulometric analysis showed that the 40–74 μm fraction contained the highest relative copper content (80%). UV-Vis and FTIR analyses indicated the presence of functional groups capable of interacting with copper ions. The study provides a scientific basis for the potential application of composite flotation reagents in the selective recovery of copper-bearing mineral raw materials.