Mechanism of Selective Ion Flotation

It has been determined that ion-water and cation-surface active anion interactions govern the ion flotation selectivity, when a sublate was not formed in the bulk solution. The flotation selectivity orders of anions were correlated with the experimentally-determined viscosity coefficients, whereas the flotation selectivity orders of cations were correlated with their ionic potential values. It has been found that, if sublate precipitation takes place in the bulk solution, the surface charge of sublate was the key factor influencing the floatability of an ion. Basic properties of sublates, e.g. the solubility and electrokinetic potential in aqueous solution have been determined. Ion flotation kinetics, using cobalt(II) and cobalt(III) ions as an example, is also considered in this study.