According to the , quoting from the University of Tehran, the researchers of the University of Tehran conducted a research under the supervision of Dr. Mehdi Qarabaghi, with the cooperation of Dr. Hadi Abdolahi, professors of the Faculty of Mining Engineering of Technical Colleges and Ali Rahmani, a doctoral stude in the field of mineral processing at the University of Tehran, a kind of Natural nanoparticles with inhere hydrophobic properties have been iroduced for use in mineral processing industry, especially biocompatible flotation processes. These natural nanoparticles can be used as a unique alternative to surfacta chemicals used in the mineral processing industry.
About the steps of flotation of minerals and the importance of using modern nano-collectors in increasing the efficiency and reducing the environmeal risks of this method, Dr. Qarabaghi ​​said: Flotation is the most importa method of mineral processing. This method is a physico-chemical separation process and the only processing method that simultaneously uses three phases: solid, liquid and gas. Every year, more than one billion tons of minerals are concerated in this way all over the world.
The Associate Professor of the Departme of Mineral Processing, Faculty of Mining Engineering, University of Tehran said about environmeally friendly nano-collectors: by crushing hydrophobic particles to nanometer dimensions under corolled conditions, they can be used as a collector (surfacer) in flotation. Thus, in addition to conveional chemical surfactas and some gas collectors, hydrophobic nanoparticles will be used as natural and innovative solid collectors in the flotation process in the coming years.
A faculty member of the Faculty of Mining Engineering said: In this research, the possibility of using a new group of nanoscale surfacers with greater efficiency and less destructive effect on the environme has been investigated. Previously, the use of nanoparticles was often reported for syhetic and unnatural materials in a limited way, but in this research, for the first time, this new group of nanosurfactas has been used for the flotation of natural minerals. Considering the direct relationship between flotation recovery and the amou of valuable mineral surface coverage by nanoparticles, in this study, the effect of nanoparticle conceration parameters, preparation time, preparation methods, flotation time, and nanoparticle size on the amou of valuable mineral coverage by nanoparticles was investigated.
He said about the findings of this research: The results of the tests showed that the reduction of recovery in mineral processing processes due to the loss of valuable mineral particles in soft form and transfer to waste dams is one of the deep-rooted and importa issues in this industry. However, the use of nano-collectors expands the dimensional range of conveional flotation to smaller sizes. The use of hydrophobic nanoparticles at the optimal level, the balance between the presence of hydrophobic nanoparticles in the flotation environme and the uniform, sufficie and single-layer surface coverage of nanoparticles on the surface of the valuable mineral, creates optimal process conditions and achieves the maximum recovery of the valuable mineral.
Dr. Qarabaghi ​​explained the effect of natural hydrophobic nanoparticles in the flotation environme as follows: the presence of natural hydrophobic nanoparticles in the flotation environme plays two main roles: first, as a surface-forming age (precious mineral-hydrophobic nanoparticles-bubble), they cause the valuable mineral to be removed from the external environme and transferred to the concerate part; Another thing is that they strengthen the attachme of valuable mineral particles to the bubble, during the particle transfer path to the foam zone, so that hydrophobic nanoparticles are prese in the eire pulp in a suspended form and do not leave the operating environme after the valuable mineral floats. This makes the bubble-particle connection stable over a longer period of time and consequely increases the recovery of the valuable mineral. Also, due to the remaining part of hydrophobic nanoparticles in the environme, their actual consumption on an industrial and stable scale is much less.
The results of this research have recely been published in an article titled Investigation of calcite flotation by green natural hydrophobic talc nanoparticles as collectors, and the adverse influence of nanoparticle aggregates by Elsevier in the Journal of Cleaner Production with an impact factor (IF) of 9.8. Available at this link.
