Effects of common ions on the flotation of fluorapatite and dolomite with oleate collector

Abstract In this study, the effects of common ions, especially Ca2+, on the reverse flotation of fluorapatite and dolomite in acidic conditions with NaOL collector were investigated using micro-flotation, zeta potential, contact angle, adsorption analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory-based first principal calculations. It is found that the dolomite flotation recovery was enhanced and the fluorapatite flotation was depressed by the addition of CaCl2 at pH 5. For dolomite, in the presence of CaCl2, the solubility of metal ions was increased, especially for Ca2+. The Ca and Mg sites exposed on the dolomite surface, increased the NaOL adsorption, thus, enhancing the dolomite flotation. However, the formation of Ca(H2PO4)2 species on fluorapatite surface inhibit its flotation.