文摘
An investigation of calcite and fluorite microflotation using microemulsified systems is reported.Several reagents that are commonly used in mineral froth flotation, such as sodium silicate,quebracho, and pH modifiers, were tested. The main objective of this research was to simplifythe conventional flotation process by the use of microemulsions. This application is based ontheir capacity to contain variable amounts of water, oil, and surface-active material in a singlephase and their ability to decrease interfacial tension, a fact that favors their application inseparation processes. The microflotation assays were accomplished in a modified Hallimondtube under specific operating conditions. The results obtained are pioneer and demonstratedthe viability of the use of microemulsions in mineral flotation, leading to an improvement of theconventional process.