The effect of amine type, pH, and size range in the flotation of quartz

Cationic reverse flotation of quartz is the most important technique for the concentration of itabirite iron ores for the production of pellet feed. Mineral processors dealing with this industrial system face two major challenges: (i) coarse quartz particles do not respond well to the action of the amine collectors; (ii) fine iron oxide particles do not respond well to the depressant action of the gelatinised corn starch. The first challenge is addressed in this paper. Bench scale experiments were performed in a conventional mechanical machine aiming at investigating the flotation performance of quartz particles of different size ranges in the presence of four dosages of ether monoamine and ether diamine, at three pH levels. It was observed that ether diamine was more effective in the flotation of medium and coarse quartz, while ether monoamine performs better in the case of fine quartz, and also that the flotation of coarse particles is enhanced by the presence of fine particles in the system.