Flotation separation of rutile from almandine using octadecyl amine polyoxyethylene ether as collector

In this study, the flotation separation of rutile from almandine using cationic surfactant Octadecyl amine polyoxyethylene ether (AC1815) as a new collector was investigated. The adsorption mechanism of AC1815 on rutile was illustrated through zeta potential measurement, infrared spectrum and XPS analyses. The flotation experiments demonstrated that AC1815 exhibited an excellent collecting ability and selectivity for rutile. The results of zeta potential measurements and XPS analysis indicated that more AC1815 was adsorbed on rutile surface instead of almandine. The adsorption mechanism of AC1815on rutile was mainly attributed to the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged molecules of AC1815 and the negatively charged rutile surface, and the hydrogen bonding between the protonated $≡NH^+$, $≡N$ group of AC1815 and $Ti-OH$ on rutile surface.