1922 † To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hkursun@cumhuriyet.edu.tr Korean J. Chem. Eng., 27(6), 1922-1927 (2010) DOI: 10.1007/s11814-010-0298-0 INVITED REVIEW PAPER Adsorption and column flotation studies on talc using anionic and cationic collectors Hulya Kursun* ,† and Ayten Ates** *Department of Mining Engineering, **Department of Chemical Engineering, Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas, Turkey (Received 7 February 2010  accepted 18 March 2010) Abstract −Adsorption properties and column flotation were studied to investigate the interaction of the anionic and cationic collectors and flotation recoveries for talc mineral. Adsorption capacity is dependent on pH, adsorption time, temperature, collector concentration, and particle size. Langmuir adsorption model was suitable for describing iso- therms. Analyses were carried out using UV spectrometry. In this study, we analyzed some parameters affecting column flotation performance. It was determined that adsorption capacity, especially, had an important role in column flotation enrichment. Key words: Adsorption, Column Flotation, Talc, Langmuir INTRODUCTION Being naturally hydrophobic, talc is a versatile industrial mineral that has been employed in a steadily increasing number of uses, such as in the paint, paper, plastic, ceramic and cosmetic industries [1]. Talc includes 63.5% SiO 2 , 31.7% MgO and 4.85 H 2 O in ideal compositions. Talc deposits generally contain calcite, dolomite, mag- nesite, chlorite, olivine, quartz, serpentine, graphite, mica and pyrite [2-4]. High purity talc is used in cosmetics, in cordierite ceramics, for pitch control in the paper industry, and as reinforcing filler in rubber. Products of intermediate purity are used as paper fillers, for plastics reinforcing, and in wall tile, paint, and dusting compounds for rubber. Lower purity products are used in roofing materials, poly- ester body patch compounds, flooring, and fertilizer formulations. Accessory mineral can have an important effect in some applica- tions. Chlorite, being platy like talc, is acceptable in most end uses except steatite and cosmetics. Tremolite of acicular particle shape is beneficial in wall tile bodies, where it provides porosity, and in coatings, where it lowers viscosity; however, it has a negative effect in plastics due to abrasion and in cosmetics due to health concerns [2]. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation was developed to describe adsorption of gases onto clean solids and implies inform adsorption sites and absence of lateral interactions (1) Where is the amount adsorbed per unit mass; c, is the equilib- rium solution concentration; and b, K and β are empirical parame- ters [5]. The Langmuir isotherm is a special case of Eq. (1). Collectors play an important role in effecting selective separation of minerals from ores by flotation. Anionic collector and cationic col- lector are effective collectors of talc flotation. Aero 825 is an anionic collector, petroleum sulfonate promoters most widely used for flotation of metallic and industrial minerals. Tallow Amine Acetate (T.A.A.) is cationic collector which is generally used for selective flotation of silicate and oxide minerals [6]. To appreciate fully the role of surface modification in flotation, it is necessary to take a closer look at the boundary between two contiguous phases. Three modes of adsorption at the solid-liquid interface can be distinguished: physical adsorption, chemisorption and chemical reaction [7]. The adsorption of the collector on the solid particle is the most important factor affecting the floatability of silicate minerals. Anionic and cationic collectors are widely used collectors for silicate mineral flotation and their adsorption onto various minerals has been commonly studied. Same aspects of the surface and structure properties of talc have been the subject of a number of papers [8], adsorption of polysaccharide onto talc has been examined by Gushan et al. [9]. Recently, the influence of ab- sorbed polysaccharides and polyacrylamides on talc flotation has been investigated by David et al. [10]; the effect of the adsorption of lead and cadmium ions on the interfacial behaviour of quartz and talc has been studied by Huang and Fuerstenau [11]. Giles et al. (1960) presented adsorption mechanisms in measurement of spe- cific areas of solids [12]. (2) where Q is adsorption capacity of Aero 825; Co is the initial con- centration of Aero 825 in solution; C is corresponds to the amount of adsorbed at time t (or concentration solution of Aero 825); m is weight of mineral; V is volume of pure water, given Eq. (2). Froth flotation is a separation process widely used in mineral pro- cessing. Conventional flotation cells are sometimes less than an ideal environment for separation of valuable minerals from gangue, be- cause of turbulence and lack of bubble size control. As an alterna- tive, column flotation is considered to be one of the most signifi- cant achievements in the field of mineral processing in recent de- cades. Column flotation provides bubbly flow regime separation conditions because of lack of turbulence caused by mechanical im- pellers. It allows for countercurrent flow of bubbles, and the wash x = bKc β 1+ Kc β --------------- Q = C − C 0 ( ) m V ---- ⋅