Flotation of boron minerals

The beneficiation of boron minerals by flotation with well defined systems has been only slightly investigated in the literature. The difficulty arises from the fact that boron minerals cover a spectrum of solubilities. Colemanite (a calcium-containing, relatively insoluble, boron mineral) and borax (a highly soluble boron mineral) have been used to exemplify the flotation of boron minerals. Using sodium dodecylsulfonate (SDS) and dodecylamine hydrochloride (DAH), the floatability responses of these boron minerals are considerably different. This has been ascribed to variations in the solubilities of boron minerals and the presence of cations in the lattice structure. In this study, flotation tests and zeta potential measurements are used to determine the flotation mechanisms of boron minerals.