Flotation of boron minerals

The paper discusses the flotation behavior of boron minerals. In the case of borax and other soluble salt minerals, analysis of the flotation chemistry has been difficult because of the high ionic strengths associated with these soluble salt systems. Surface charge of alkali halides in their saturated brines was established on the basis of nonequilibrium electrophoretic mobility measurements by laser Doppler electrophoresis. This electrokinetic information coupled with the stability and prevalence of collector colloids indicates that the selective flotation of alkali halides is due to the adsorption of oppositely charged collector colloids by heterocoagulation. Borax flotation is readily explained by the surface charge/collector colloid adsorption models but discrepancies in the results of other experiments can be due to the sample's composition, procedures used and the difference of the flotation equipment used together with a mistake in the collector addition.