Journal de la métallurgie des poudres et des mines

Abstrait

Effect of Cationic Surfactant Addition on the Electro kinetics and Stability of Silica/Kaolinite Suspensions under Conditions Relevant to Copper Hydrometallurgy

Ahualli

It's a tricky situation when there are tiny particles present during hydrometallurgy process operation that result in crud. The majority of the time, silica and clay particles either float to the top or stay in suspension. Promoting the settling of the solids by adding surfactant could be a method for their removal. The evaluation of the composition and ideal dose of surfactant is however necessary for this approach in these complicated systems with a variety of particle types and sizes[1-15].In this study, we investigate the application of dynamic electrophoretic mobility for assessing CTAB adsorption on silica/kaolinite mixes at low pH and high ionic strength indirectly. with a particle concentration of more than 3%. The electroacoustic approach (ESA) demonstrates its suitability for predicting the impact of surfactant addition on silica and kaolinite individual particles as well as combinations of such particles. The findings concurred with estimates of sizes and sedimentation rates. Additionally, the evolution of aggregates and the construction of structures between particles as a result of the addition of CTAB are supported by images taken using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This inquiry may help to resolve operational issues related to the production of crud in the hydrometallurgy process since the ultimate goal is to identify the appropriate doses of surfactant in which the specified suspensions flocculate and separate from the continuous.