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Abstract:The effects of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Al 3+ , and Fe 3+ on the flotation behaviors of apatite, dolomite and quartz were investigated through a micro-flotation test, and the influence of calcium ions on the flotation of these minerals was further elucidated by solution chemistry study, zeta potential measurement, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The results indicate that an appropriate amount of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ can improve the floatability of apatite but had a negligible effect on the flotation performance of dolomite, whereas Al 3+ , Fe 3+ , and excessive amounts of Ca 2+ decreased the recovery of apatite and dolomite. The studied metal cations can activate quartz at a particular pH. It can be inferred from solution chemistry and zeta potential measurement that the influence of metal ions on the flotation of different minerals should be attributed to the adsorption of various hydrolysis species on the mineral surfaces. XPS analyses reveal that calcium ions can enhance the adsorption of anionic collector on apatite and quartz surfaces, and there are no apparent changes to be observed on the surface of dolomite in the absence and presence of calcium ions at a concentration of 2.5 × 10 −3 M, which was in good agreement with the micro-flotation results.

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