Interpretation of Hydrophobization Behavior of Dodecylamine on Muscovite and Talc Surface through Dynamic Wettability and AFM Analysis

Abstract

In this study, a new approach, “dynamic wettability”, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging analysis techniques were successfully used to characterize the hydrophobization mechanism of the collector dodecylamine (DDA) on muscovite and talc surfaces. The attachment of bubbles to the minerals was studied through the dynamic contact angle to gain a detailed understanding of the hydrophobization mechanism of DDA on a muscovite and talc surface. AFM imaging and interaction forces were performed to explain the DDA adsorption mechanism on both minerals. Finally, flotation tests were performed to verify the effectiveness of these techniques. After treatments with DDA, the contact angles became much larger compared to initial angles, particularly for muscovite, and the attachment of bubbles on the talc surface was much easier than muscovite due to its natural hydrophobicity. From AFM imaging, both the muscovite and talc showed a similar tendency; the higher the DDA concentration, the more the adsorbed amount. However, the adsorbed amount of DDA on talc surface was obviously more than that on muscovite. As far as interaction forces are concerned, the maximum attractions occurred at certain different concentrations respectively for muscovite and talc and agreed well with the AFM-imaging results. Moreover, results obtained from flotation tests were promising and quite in agreement with the phenomenon of these techniques.

Comparison and Mechanism Analysis of Three-Phase Contact Formation onto Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Mineral Surfaces in the Presence of Cationic/Anionic Surfactants during Flotation Process

“…Therefore, we chose pyrene as a fluorescent probe to detect the surface "micro-polarity" changes in the muscovite and the talc in different concentrations of surfactant solutions. For typical hydrophilic silicate muscovite, its natural contact angle is about 7 • [36,37]. According to the results, TPC was formed in the CTAC solution, and the time required decreased with the increasing concentration, whereas no TPC appeared in the NaOL solution.…”

Talc Flotation—An Overview

“…Among anionic collectors, it was observed that increasing the oleic acid concentration created the multilayers of the collector on the talc surface and reduced its recovery [62]. Cationic collectors (Tallow amine acetate and Dodecylamine) could improve its floatability [5,63]. The adsorbed amount of collector affected the talc recovery, where a high concentration made the talc surface more hydrophobic [63].…”

“…Cationic collectors (Tallow amine acetate and Dodecylamine) could improve its floatability [5,63]. The adsorbed amount of collector affected the talc recovery, where a high concentration made the talc surface more hydrophobic [63]. It should be observed that adsorption capacity would be dependent on pH, particle size, temperature, adsorption time, and collector concentration [5].…”

Rhamnolipids as Effective Green Agents in the Destabilisation of Dolomite Suspension

“…In order to obtain an adequate hydrophobicity of the surface, one possibility is to use surface active molecules that will change the properties of the surface through adsorption. In the literature, one can find research on the use of synthetic surfactants for this purpose (e.g., [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]). However, the environmental impact of these substances is often negative, and new alternatives to replace synthetic surfactants with more sustainable molecules are being explored.…”