Synergetic effects of fatty acids in amazon oil-based collectors for phosphate flotation

• Published in: Minerals engineering 2023-01, Vol.191, p.107932, Article 107932
• Main Authors: Henrique Santos, Leandro, Mércia Alves Santos, Adriele, Fernandes de Magalhães, Luciano, Fonseca de Souza, Tamíris, Rodrigues da Silva, Gilberto, Eduardo Clark Peres, Antônio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fatty acids; Flotation; Novel collectors; Phosphate ore; Synergy
• ISSN: 0892-6875; 1872-9444
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2022.107932

•The acid profile of anionic collectors affects their flotation performance.•The formation of ionomolecular compounds favors selectivity for oil-based Amazon collectors.•An equal oleate/palmitate ratio favored selectivity in the flotation of apatite from carbonates.•Palmitate-rich fatty acid collectors showed higher recovery of carbonates. The mineral industry seeks less polluting processes, including replacing inputs by sustainable options, in line with growing environmental demands. Alternative sources of fatty acids for the synthesis of collectors for phosphate ores are a great example of this challenge, as their fatty acid profile affects flotation performance. In this work, Amazonian oils (patauá - Oenocarpus bataua / andiroba - Carapas guianensi) and fat (bacuri - Platonia insiginis), of various compositions, were studied to evaluate the relationship between their physicochemical properties (acid profile, acidity, saponification, and iodine indexes) and their performance as apatite, calcite and dolomite collector in comparison to sodium oleate and sodium palmitate. Andiroba oil collector, with a high proportion of unsaturation in its composition, promoted greater selectivity between apatite/carbonates (pH 7.5), among the evaluated collectors, including those obtained from pure fatty acid. Bacuri fat collector, with a high proportion of saturation in its composition, along with sodium palmitate showed higher performance in the recovery of carbonates at more alkaline pH (9.0). The results indicated the relevance of investigating new sources of green collectors and understanding the effect of the acid profile of oils and fats on their performance in flotation systems.