Biobased collectors for sustainable phosphate ore flotation: Enhanced performance and selectivity

Diverse collectors are employed in mineral flotation; they are categorized into distinct families distinguished by a particular characteristic that enables their adsorption onto a given mineral. All these collectors are designed to increase the hydrophobicity of a mineral's surface to improve its floatability and separation in the froth flotation process. Phosphate ore enrichment using flotation has long utilized anionic collectors in the form of synthetic fatty acids derived from petrolic raw materials. This nonrenewable material has several disadvantages, including lack of biodegradability, possible toxicity and difficult conditions of use. This paper aims to explore the effect of eco-friendly and promising alternatives that can substitute the conventional collectors and introduce some new non-toxic reagents into the flotation additives industry. For this purpose, the different compounds used as biobased collectors are examined and their performance is evaluated, relying on some fundamental studies and flotation tests. The adsorption behavior and efficiency of these compounds are assessed based on the analysis of previous zeta potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectra, adsorption tests, contact angle determinations, and flotation test findings. Selectivity of the collector is a key factor in determining the effectiveness of this reagent. Therefore, this review discusses the main factors affecting the selectivity of biobased collectors toward phosphate ore minerals. Additionally, the different strategies to improve this selectivity are emphasized. Lastly, a comparison of the performance of biobased collectors to conventional reagents is established with the aim of determining their main advantages and disadvantages.