Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110123
Yunheng Ji, Jianwu Zeng, Haotian Zhang, Luzheng Chen
{"title":"Comparative study on separation characteristics between magnetic and conventional spiral separator via CFD-DEM","authors":"Yunheng Ji, Jianwu Zeng, Haotian Zhang, Luzheng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110123","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110123","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110130
Jianwei Yu, Wanzhong Yin, Jin Yao, Bin Yang, Daolai Tian, Taozhong Zhang, Weifan Du, Xiaoqi Ban, Dilinuer Abudukade
{"title":"The impact of the carbon structure of oil-based collectors on the flotation performance and bubble adhesion mechanisms of microfine flake graphite: a comparative study of n-alkanes and n-alkylbenzenes","authors":"Jianwei Yu, Wanzhong Yin, Jin Yao, Bin Yang, Daolai Tian, Taozhong Zhang, Weifan Du, Xiaoqi Ban, Dilinuer Abudukade","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110130","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110130","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110128
Xin Guo, Yunfan Wang, Shanlong Yang, Xingyu Liu, Ximei Luo
{"title":"Molecular-level insights into the selective adsorption of gum arabic and its role in the flotation separation of fluorite and calcite","authors":"Xin Guo, Yunfan Wang, Shanlong Yang, Xingyu Liu, Ximei Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110128","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146134487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110108
Shuling Gao, Qian Wang, Xiaohong Zhou, Chunyu Liu, Bochao Li
{"title":"Engineering hydrodynamics via pitch-diameter ratio to intensify eco-efficient separation of fine hematite/quartz in spiral chute","authors":"Shuling Gao, Qian Wang, Xiaohong Zhou, Chunyu Liu, Bochao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110108","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110126
Bo Zhang , Peng Gao , Shuai Yuan , Yanjun Li , Honghao Zhang
During the high-voltage pulse (HVP) crushing of ore, the liquid itself acts as an insulator. In previous studies, deionized water has been widely used as the working liquid. Compared to deionized water, tap water is cheaper and more readily available. This paper analyzes the feasibility of using tap water as a substitute for deionized water. The results of the tests confirm that tap water slightly reduces the crushing efficiency of HVP. The paired-particle test results indicate that the selective breakage probability of HVP in tap water is approximately 85–90%. SEM-EDS indicates that the HVP products in both tap water and deionized water exhibited similar microstructures. In tap water, the HVP fragmentation also exhibits a pronounced particle size enrichment effect. In the −3 mm particle size fraction, compared to mechanical crushing, the iron distribution rate of HVP products in tap water and deionized water increased by 8.1 and 13.37 percentage points, respectively. In addition, numerical simulation results of the quasi-static electric field revealed that an increase in the electrical conductivity of the water reduces the electric field strength within the ore particles. Compared to deionized water, the maximum electric field strength within the mineral particles in tap water decreases by approximately 18.65% at a voltage of 80 kV.
{"title":"Feasibility of using tap water instead of deionized water in the high-voltage pulse breakage process of magnetite quartzite","authors":"Bo Zhang , Peng Gao , Shuai Yuan , Yanjun Li , Honghao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During the high-voltage pulse (HVP) crushing of ore, the liquid itself acts as an insulator. In previous studies, deionized water has been widely used as the working liquid. Compared to deionized water, tap water is cheaper and more readily available. This paper analyzes the feasibility of using tap water as a substitute for deionized water. The results of the tests confirm that tap water slightly reduces the crushing efficiency of HVP. The paired-particle test results indicate that the selective breakage probability of HVP in tap water is approximately 85–90%. SEM-EDS indicates that the HVP products in both tap water and deionized water exhibited similar microstructures. In tap water, the HVP fragmentation also exhibits a pronounced particle size enrichment effect. In the −3 mm particle size fraction, compared to mechanical crushing, the iron distribution rate of HVP products in tap water and deionized water increased by 8.1 and 13.37 percentage points, respectively. In addition, numerical simulation results of the quasi-static electric field revealed that an increase in the electrical conductivity of the water reduces the electric field strength within the ore particles. Compared to deionized water, the maximum electric field strength within the mineral particles in tap water decreases by approximately 18.65% at a voltage of 80 kV.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"240 ","pages":"Article 110126"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110122
Yuhua Zhu , Cheng Liu , Hongyang Wang , Wei Xu , Siyuan Yang
Flotation separation of apatite from dolomite is still a challenge due to their similar surface characteristics. To address this issue, polyamino polyether methylene phosphonic acid (PAPEMP) was employed to separate apatite and dolomite. The single-mineral flotation results showed that PAPEMP selectively depressed the floatability of dolomite using the sodium oleate (NaOl) collector. The artificial mixed mineral and real flotation tests confirmed that separation between apatite and dolomite could be realized in the reagent scheme of PAPEMP/NaOl. The adsorption tests indicated that the adsorption of PAPEMP on the dolomite surface was much greater than that on the apatite surface. The zeta potential and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments verified that the interaction between dolomite and PAPEMP was stronger than that between apatite and PAPEMP, then selectively hindered the interaction of NaOl with the dolomite surface. The XPS results indicated that phosphate groups in the PAPEMP molecule interact with calcium/magnesium ions on the dolomite surface, while no effective chemical interaction occurred between PAPEMP and the apatite surface. MS calculation results further confirmed that the interaction between PAPEMP and the dolomite surface was stronger than that between PAPEMP and the apatite surface. Therefore, PAPEMP could be used as an appropriate depressant to separate apatite and dolomite.
{"title":"Evaluation of polyamino polyether methylene phosphonic acid as an eco-friendly depressant in the separation of apatite and dolomite","authors":"Yuhua Zhu , Cheng Liu , Hongyang Wang , Wei Xu , Siyuan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flotation separation of apatite from dolomite is still a challenge due to their similar surface characteristics. To address this issue, polyamino polyether methylene phosphonic acid (PAPEMP) was employed to separate apatite and dolomite. The single-mineral flotation results showed that PAPEMP selectively depressed the floatability of dolomite using the sodium oleate (NaOl) collector. The artificial mixed mineral and real flotation tests confirmed that separation between apatite and dolomite could be realized in the reagent scheme of PAPEMP/NaOl. The adsorption tests indicated that the adsorption of PAPEMP on the dolomite surface was much greater than that on the apatite surface. The zeta potential and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments verified that the interaction between dolomite and PAPEMP was stronger than that between apatite and PAPEMP, then selectively hindered the interaction of NaOl with the dolomite surface. The XPS results indicated that phosphate groups in the PAPEMP molecule interact with calcium/magnesium ions on the dolomite surface, while no effective chemical interaction occurred between PAPEMP and the apatite surface. MS calculation results further confirmed that the interaction between PAPEMP and the dolomite surface was stronger than that between PAPEMP and the apatite surface. Therefore, PAPEMP could be used as an appropriate depressant to separate apatite and dolomite.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"239 ","pages":"Article 110122"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110127
Yuanxing Yue , Yongsheng Sun , Peng Gao , Yuexin Han , Zhidong Tang
The comprehensive utilization of Bayan Obo tailings is hindered by the coexistence of iron and rare earth element (REE) minerals, which require distinct beneficiation conditions. To enhance process compatibility and overall resource recovery, a synergistic separation strategy based on early-stage physical decoupling of iron- and REE-bearing streams is proposed. Magnetic pre-enrichment was first applied to partition the tailings into an iron-rich concentrate and a REE-enriched tailings stream. The iron-rich fraction underwent hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation (HMPT), followed by grinding and magnetic separation, producing a high-grade iron concentrate with 66.16% TFe at a recovery of 76.44%. Concurrently, the REE-enriched tailings were directly processed by flotation without thermal treatment, yielding a rare earth concentrate with 50.38% REO at a recovery of 58.62%. This decoupled flowsheet allows iron and REEs to be processed under conditions tailored to their respective separation requirements, thereby reducing cross-process interactions. Mechanism studies using XRD confirmed hematite-to-magnetite transformation; XPS revealed Fe3+/Fe2+ reduction and strong chemical interaction between BHA and Ce ions; SEM-EDS illustrated microcrack-enhanced gas–solid reactions. Overall, the proposed H2-based integrated route provides a practical, low-carbon strategy for coordinated iron and REE recovery from complex tailings, improving both process efficiency and resource utilization.
{"title":"A synergistic H2-Based process for co-recovery of iron and rare earth elements from complex Tailings: Toward a Zero-Waste strategy","authors":"Yuanxing Yue , Yongsheng Sun , Peng Gao , Yuexin Han , Zhidong Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The comprehensive utilization of Bayan Obo tailings is hindered by the coexistence of iron and rare earth element (REE) minerals, which require distinct beneficiation conditions. To enhance process compatibility and overall resource recovery, a synergistic separation strategy based on early-stage physical decoupling of iron- and REE-bearing streams is proposed. Magnetic pre-enrichment was first applied to partition the tailings into an iron-rich concentrate and a REE-enriched tailings stream. The iron-rich fraction underwent hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation (HMPT), followed by grinding and magnetic separation, producing a high-grade iron concentrate with 66.16% TFe at a recovery of 76.44%. Concurrently, the REE-enriched tailings were directly processed by flotation without thermal treatment, yielding a rare earth concentrate with 50.38% REO at a recovery of 58.62%. This decoupled flowsheet allows iron and REEs to be processed under conditions tailored to their respective separation requirements, thereby reducing cross-process interactions. Mechanism studies using XRD confirmed hematite-to-magnetite transformation; XPS revealed Fe<sup>3+</sup>/Fe<sup>2+</sup> reduction and strong chemical interaction between BHA and Ce ions; SEM-EDS illustrated microcrack-enhanced gas–solid reactions. Overall, the proposed H<sub>2</sub>-based integrated route provides a practical, low-carbon strategy for coordinated iron and REE recovery from complex tailings, improving both process efficiency and resource utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"239 ","pages":"Article 110127"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110110
Yunzhen Hu , Kangjing Wu , Shuai Wang , Zhanfang Cao , Xin Ma , Hong Zhong
The flotation separation of chalcopyrite and galena remains challenging due to their similar surface properties. Here, we demonstrate that H2O2 pretreatment passivates Cu sites (forming Cu–O) while activating Pb sites (forming Pb–O) on mineral surfaces, which transforms sodium 2-(dithiocarboxylato)ethyl acetate (DTCA) from non-selective into a galena-selective depressant. Micro-flotation experiments indicate that with H2O2 oxidation duration of 30 min, pH of 10, and DTCA dosage of 100 mg/g, galena recovery can be reduced to below 5% while maintaining chalcopyrite recovery above 90%. Following oxidation, the adsorption amount of chalcopyrite decreased from 96.54 to 7 mg/g, while that of galena increased from 101.32 to 102.45 mg/g. Multiscale characterizations (FTIR, XPS, ToF-SIMS) indicate that DTCA adsorbs onto the surfaces of chalcopyrite and galena, respectively, via chelation between S–Cu–S and S–Pb–S bonds. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that oxidation enhanced the adsorption strength of DTCA on the surface of galena, with the adsorption energy shifting from −2.571 to −2.645 eV. Conversely, adsorption strength decreased significantly after oxidation of chalcopyrite, with the adsorption energy shifting from −2.470 to −1.588 eV. Closed-circuit tests on industrial concentrates yielded copper recovery and grade reached 93.13% and 27.43%, respectively, while lead achieved 96.33% recovery and 43.21% grade, with a separation index (SI) of 2.55, surpassing that achieved by the toxic potassium dichromate(K2Cr2O7) method. This study proposes a Cr (VI)-free flotation strategy for efficient Cu–Pb separation, offering a promising alternative to conventional environmentally hazardous methods.
{"title":"H2O2-mediated surface chemistry converts a non-selective depressant to galena-selective for efficient Cu–Pb flotation separation","authors":"Yunzhen Hu , Kangjing Wu , Shuai Wang , Zhanfang Cao , Xin Ma , Hong Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The flotation separation of chalcopyrite and galena remains challenging due to their similar surface properties. Here, we demonstrate that H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> pretreatment passivates Cu sites (forming Cu–O) while activating Pb sites (forming Pb–O) on mineral surfaces, which transforms sodium 2-(dithiocarboxylato)ethyl acetate (DTCA) from non-selective into a galena-selective depressant. Micro-flotation experiments indicate that with H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> oxidation duration of 30 min, pH of 10, and DTCA dosage of 100 mg/g, galena recovery can be reduced to below 5% while maintaining chalcopyrite recovery above 90%. Following oxidation, the adsorption amount of chalcopyrite decreased from 96.54 to 7 mg/g, while that of galena increased from 101.32 to 102.45 mg/g. Multiscale characterizations (FTIR, XPS, ToF-SIMS) indicate that DTCA adsorbs onto the surfaces of chalcopyrite and galena, respectively, via chelation between S–Cu–S and S–Pb–S bonds. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that oxidation enhanced the adsorption strength of DTCA on the surface of galena, with the adsorption energy shifting from −2.571 to −2.645 eV. Conversely, adsorption strength decreased significantly after oxidation of chalcopyrite, with the adsorption energy shifting from −2.470 to −1.588 eV. Closed-circuit tests on industrial concentrates yielded copper recovery and grade reached 93.13% and 27.43%, respectively, while lead achieved 96.33% recovery and 43.21% grade, with a separation index (SI) of 2.55, surpassing that achieved by the toxic potassium dichromate(K<sub>2</sub>Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub>) method. This study proposes a Cr (VI)-free flotation strategy for efficient Cu–Pb separation, offering a promising alternative to conventional environmentally hazardous methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"239 ","pages":"Article 110110"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}