Utilization of gellan gum as a novel depressant to float specularite from chlorite

Abstract

This study delves into the exploration of gellan gum (GG) as a novel depressant to selectively separate specularite from chlorite through flotation processes. The single mineral flotation assessments unveiled that the introduction of GG notably inhibited the flotation of specularite, while exerting a comparably weaker effect on chlorite, in conjunction with dodecylamine (DDA) as the collector. GG significantly amplified the difference in floatability between specularite and chlorite in artificial mixed ore flotation. The adsorption mechanism revealed the selective adherence of GG to the surface of specularite, and that GG chemically bonded to the surface of specularite through a reaction between active groups (–COOH, –OH) in GG molecules and Fe sites on the specularite surface, forming Fe-O bonds. The application of GG emerges as a promising and effective depressant for the separation of specularite from chlorite, offering significant potential within this domain of study.