Moscow State Mining University, Moscow, Russia:

A. A. Abramov, Professor, e-mail: AbramovAA31@mail.ru

The essence of frothers' selectivity is considered from a standpoint of flotation theory, together with the ways of increasing of this selectivity in practical conditions. It is shown, that with equal molar adsorption, the dispersive and foam-forming properties of the frothers are basically defined by the structure of radical, according to the Gibbs–Marangoni effect. The frothers combination is not accompanied by sinergetic effect, if their concentration does not exceed the critical concentration of selectivity. In these conditions, the necessary foaming intensity and flotation rate without decreasing of its selectivity can be received as a result of combination of weak and strong frothers. At the same time, the flotation rate of weak high-selective frothers is low, while the flotation rate of strong low-selective frothers is high. Further increasing of frothers' selectivity can be reached by the
following means:
— application of frothers, capable to direct selective interaction with mineral surface and increasing of hydrophoby degree of selectivity;
— change of the composition of physically sorbed substance during the adsorption of frother on hydrophobic surface of mineral and its kinetic characteristics of break of hydrate interlayer between bubble and particle with fastening of particle on bubble;
— formation of the structure of adsorption layer of surface-active substances on the bubble surface and changing its relaxation characteristics, defining the durability of a bubble-particle contact in turbulent flotation conditions.

1. Abramov A. A. Tekhnologiya pererabotki i obogashcheniya rud tsvetnykh metallov. Tom III. Kniga 1. Rudopodgotovka i Cu-, Cu – Py-, Cu – Fe-, Mo-, Cu – Mo-, Cu – Zn-rudy (575 s.). Kniga 2. Pb-, Pb – Cu-, Zn-, Pb – Zn-, Pb – Cu – Zn-, Cu – Ni-, Co-, Bi-, Sb-, Hg-soderzhashchie rudy (472 s.) (Theory of processing and concentration of non-ferrous metals' ores. Volume III. Book 1. Ore preparation and Cu-, Cu – Py-, Cu – Fe-, Mo-, Cu – Mo-, Cu – Zn-ores (575 p.). Book 2. Pb-, Pb – Cu-, Zn-, Pb – Zn-, Pb – Cu – Zn-, Cu – Ni-, Co-, Bi-, Sb-, Hg-containing ores (472 p.)). Moscow : Publishing House of Moscow State Mining University, 2005.
2. Abramov A. A. Flotatsionnye metody obogashcheniya (Flotation methods of concentration). Third edition, revised and enlarged. Moscow : Publishing House of Moscow State Mining University, 2008. 710 p.
3. Arsentev V. A., Gorlovskiy S. I., Ustinov I. D. Kompleksnoe deystvie flotatsionnykh reagentov (Complex effect of flotation reagents). Moscow : Nedra, 1992. 160 p.
4. Razumov K. A. Flotatsionnye metody obogashcheniya (Flotation methods of concentration). Leningrad : Publishing House of Leningrad State University, 1975.
5. Eygeles M. A. Osnovy flotatsii nesulfidnykh mineralov (Basis of flotation of non-sulphide minerals). Moscow : Nedra, 1964. 407 p.
6. Sorokin M. M. Khimiya flotatsionnykh reagentov (Chemistry of flotation reagents). Moscow : MISiS, 1978. 127 p.
7. Glembotsky A., Kasianova H., Gurvich S., Kvale O. Collecting properties of frothers. Is their prediction possible? Proceedings of the XVII IMPC. Dresden, September, 1991. pp. 23–28.
8. Mitrofanov S. I. Selektivnaya flotatsiya. Vtoroe izdanie (Selective flotation. Second edition). Moscow : Nedra, 1967. 584 p.
9. Melik-Gaykazyan V. I., Abramov A. A., Rubinshteyn Yu. B. et al. Metody issledovaniya flotatsionnogo protsessa (Methods of research of flotation process). Moscow : Nedra, 1990. 301 p.
10. Bogdanov O. S., Maksimov I. S., Podnek A. K. et al. Teoriya i tekhnologiya flotatsii rud (Theory and technology of ore flotation). Moscow : Nedra, 1990. 365 p.
11. Abramov A. A. Sobranie sochineniy. Tom 6. Flotatsiya. Fizikokhimicheskoe modelirovanie protsessov (Collection of proceedings. Volume 6. Flotation. Physical and chemical modeling of processes). Moscow : Publishing House of Moscow State Mining University “Gornaya kniga”, 2010. 607 p.