A new combined collector for flotation separation of ilmenite from titanaugite in acidic pulp

Abstract The existing fatty acid collectors generally have problems of poor separation performance and low recovery in the strongly acidic pulp of the flotation of ilmenite concentrate. In this study, a surfactant, dodecyl dimethyl betaine (BS-12), was introduced to promote the flotation performance of sodium oleate (NaOL) under strong acid conditions. Using the combined collector (NaOL:BS-12 = 6:4), 90% of the ilmenite could float while the titanaugite basically did not float under the condition of pulp pH = 3. The interaction mechanism was investigated through laser particle size analysis and high-speed photography. The results of laser particle size analysis showed that the combined collector could selectively flocculate ilmenite and increase the particle size of ilmenite, making it easier to be floated out, but had no similar effect on titanaugite. The results of high-speed photography showed that the combined collector could make the ilmenite particles form huge flocs and the adhesion of the flocs to bubble was the best compared with the cases when NaOL or BS-12 was used individually, while such effect on titanaugite was limited. Therefore, the combined collector (NaOL:BS-12 = 6:4) will be a promising collector for ilmenite flotation because of its excellent selectivity and conformity to the actual situation of industrial production of ilmenite concentrate.