Flotation agents, processes for their preparation and use

Abstract

The application relates to a floatation agent, which comprises at least one molecule in a molecule represented by a chemical general formula (I): wherein R3 and R6 are hydrophilic groups, R1 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group, R4 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group; R2 and R5 are hydrophobic groups, and the carbon atoms in R2 and R5 are not less than 12. The floatation agent provided by the application has the advantages of good floatation effect and low dosage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the aluminum industry, and more particularly to bauxite processing. Background Technology

[0002] Current bauxite desilication flotation agents suffer from problems such as increased reagent dosage, poor dispersion at the flotation interface, and unsatisfactory separation results. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a flotation agent, its preparation method, and its application to solve the technical problems of large reagent dosage, poor dispersion at the flotation interface, and unsatisfactory separation effect in bauxite desilication flotation agents.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a flotation agent, the flotation agent comprising at least one molecule represented by general chemical formula (I):

[0005]

[0006] Among them, R3 and R6 are both hydrophilic groups.

[0007] R1 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group, and R4 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group;

[0008] Both R2 and R5 are hydrophobic groups, and both R2 and R5 contain at least 12 carbon atoms.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, R2 is a hydrocarbon group; and / or,

[0010] R5 is a hydrocarbon group.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, R2 is an alkyl group; and / or,

[0012] R5 is an alkyl group.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, R2 comprises 18 carbon atoms; and / or,

[0014] R5 consists of 18 carbon atoms.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, R1 is a sulfonic acid group; and / or,

[0016] R4 is a sulfonic acid group; and / or,

[0017] R3 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid group; and / or,

[0018] R6 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid group.

[0019] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for preparing a flotation agent, the method comprising a first method and a second method.

[0020] The first method has the following steps:

[0021] The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether;

[0022] The first intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0023] The second method includes the following steps:

[0024] The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether;

[0025] The second intermediate is obtained by reacting the first intermediate with a sulfonating agent;

[0026] The second intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0027] In some embodiments of this application, the unsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid.

[0028] In some embodiments of this application, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether to obtain the first intermediate product is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, such as concentrated sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or aluminum chloride; and / or,

[0029] The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether, wherein the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether is carried out under inert gas protection.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an application of a flotation agent, wherein the flotation agent is the flotation agent described in any embodiment of the first aspect, and the flotation agent is applied to the bauxite positive flotation desilication process.

[0031] In some embodiments of this application, the bauxite positive flotation desilication process uses low-grade bauxite as raw material, and the aluminum-silicon ratio of the low-grade bauxite is 1.8 to 2.6.

[0032] The technical solutions provided in this application have the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0033] The flotation agent provided in this application includes a molecule represented by general chemical formula (I). The R2 and R5 groups in this molecule are hydrophobic and have a large number of carbon atoms, resulting in a longer length or larger volume, which helps to reduce the surface tension of the molecule and improve the collection effect of the flotation agent. The R3 and R6 groups are hydrophilic groups, which can increase the solubility of the molecule and reduce the amount of flotation agent required. Therefore, the flotation agent provided in this application has the advantages of good flotation effect and low dosage. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a contact angle test diagram of the flotation agent and bauxite after interaction provided in Example 1 of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 The contact angle test diagram is provided for Comparative Example 1 of this application after the collector reacts with bauxite. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] Unless otherwise specified, the terminology used herein should be understood as having the meaning as commonly used in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. In case of any conflict, this specification shall prevail.

[0040] Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials, reagents, instruments and equipment used in this application can be purchased from the market or prepared by existing methods.

[0041] Existing bauxite desilication flotation reagents suffer from technical problems such as large dosage, poor dispersion at the flotation interface, and unsatisfactory separation effect.

[0042] The technical solution provided in this application is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, and the general idea is as follows:

[0043] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a flotation agent, the flotation agent comprising at least one molecule represented by general chemical formula (I):

[0044]

[0045] Among them, R3 and R6 are both hydrophilic groups.

[0046] R1 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group, and R4 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group;

[0047] Both R2 and R5 are hydrophobic groups, and both R2 and R5 contain at least 12 carbon atoms.

[0048] The molecule represented by general chemical formula (I) contains two hydrophobic groups, R2 and R5, and R2 and R5 have a large number of atoms, are relatively long or have a large volume. This helps to reduce the surface tension of the molecule and improve the collection effect of the flotation agent. The two hydrophilic groups, R3 and R6, can increase the solubility of the molecule and reduce the amount of flotation agent required.

[0049] It should be noted that when R1 is a hydrophilic group, it can further increase the adsorption force of the flotation agent on the mineral surface. Similarly, when R4 is a hydrophilic group, it has the same effect.

[0050] The flotation agent described in this application comprises a molecule represented by general chemical formula (I). The R2 and R5 groups in this molecule are hydrophobic and have a large number of carbon atoms, resulting in longer lengths or larger volumes. This helps reduce the surface tension of the molecule and improve the collection effect of the flotation agent. The R3 and R6 groups are hydrophilic groups, which can increase the solubility of the molecule and reduce the amount of flotation agent required. Therefore, the flotation agent provided in this application has the advantages of good flotation effect and low dosage.

[0051] In some embodiments of this application, R2 is a hydrocarbon group; and / or,

[0052] R5 is a hydrocarbon group.

[0053] It is easy to understand that hydrocarbon groups have good hydrophobicity, and the corresponding synthetic raw materials are readily available.

[0054] In some embodiments of this application, R2 is an alkyl group; and / or,

[0055] R5 is an alkyl group.

[0056] It is easy to understand that alkyl groups have good hydrophobicity and stability, and the corresponding raw materials are readily available, making it less likely for byproducts to occur during the synthesis process.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, R2 comprises 18 carbon atoms; and / or,

[0058] R5 consists of 18 carbon atoms.

[0059] In some embodiments of this application, R1 is a sulfonic acid group; and / or,

[0060] R4 is a sulfonic acid group; and / or,

[0061] R3 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid group; and / or,

[0062] R6 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid group.

[0063] It is easy to understand that sulfonic acid groups have good hydrophilicity and can be easily attached to benzene rings through organic reactions.

[0064] It's easy to understand that hydroxyl, carboxyl, and sulfonic acid groups are all highly hydrophilic groups, and the corresponding synthetic raw materials are readily available.

[0065] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for preparing a flotation agent, the method comprising a first method and a second method.

[0066] The first method has the following steps:

[0067] S11: The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether;

[0068] S12: React the first intermediate product with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0069] The second method includes the following steps:

[0070] S21: The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether;

[0071] S22: The second intermediate is obtained by reacting the first intermediate with a sulfonating agent;

[0072] S23: React the second intermediate product with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0073] It is easy to understand that in step S11, the benzene ring of the diphenyl ether undergoes an addition reaction with the carbon-carbon double bond of the unsaturated fatty acid.

[0074] It is easy to understand that in step S22, the sulfonating reagent reacts with the benzene ring of the second intermediate product, and the product conforms to the general chemical formula (I), and R1 and R4 are both sulfonic acid groups.

[0075] It should be noted that the flotation agent prepared by the method described in the second aspect of this application can be prepared using a simple process and inexpensive, readily available raw materials to produce the flotation agent described in some embodiments of the first aspect of this application. Other embodiments of the first aspect of this application cannot be prepared using the flotation agent prepared by the method described in the second aspect of this application, but those skilled in the art can implement these embodiments based on common knowledge of organic chemical synthesis.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, the unsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid.

[0077] It's easy to understand that oleic acid is a cheap and readily available unsaturated fatty acid.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether to obtain the first intermediate product is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, such as concentrated sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or aluminum chloride; and / or,

[0079] The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether, wherein the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether is carried out under inert gas protection.

[0080] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an application of a flotation agent, wherein the flotation agent is the flotation agent described in any embodiment of the first aspect, and the flotation agent is applied to the bauxite positive flotation desilication process.

[0081] In some embodiments of this application, the bauxite positive flotation desilication process uses low-grade bauxite as raw material, and the aluminum-silicon ratio of the low-grade bauxite is 1.8 to 2.6.

[0082] It is easy to understand that the direct flotation desilication process for low-grade bauxite with an aluminum-silicon ratio of 1.8 to 2.6 is usually difficult to implement. However, since the flotation agent provided in the first aspect of this application has a good flotation effect, it can be applied to the direct flotation desilication process for low-grade bauxite with an aluminum-silicon ratio of 1.8 to 2.6.

[0083] The present application is further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application. Experimental methods in the following embodiments that do not specify specific conditions are generally determined according to industry standards. If there is no corresponding industry standard, then common international standards, conventional conditions, or conditions recommended by the manufacturer are followed.

[0084] Example 1

[0085] This application provides a flotation agent composed of the following molecules:

[0086]

[0087] This application also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned flotation agent, comprising the following steps:

[0088] The first intermediate product was obtained by reacting oleic acid with diphenyl ether under inert gas protection and catalyst catalysis.

[0089] The first intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0090] The catalyst is concentrated sulfuric acid.

[0091] Example 2

[0092] This application provides a flotation agent composed of the following molecules:

[0093]

[0094] This application also provides a method for preparing the above-mentioned flotation agent, comprising the following steps:

[0095] The first intermediate product was obtained by reacting oleic acid with diphenyl ether.

[0096] The second intermediate is obtained by reacting the first intermediate with a sulfonating agent;

[0097] The second intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0098] The first intermediate product was obtained by reacting oleic acid with diphenyl ether under inert gas protection and catalyst catalysis.

[0099] The first intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

[0100] The catalyst is hydrofluoric acid, and the sulfonating agent is fuming sulfuric acid.

[0101] Example 3

[0102] The flotation agent described in Example 1 is provided for implementing a positive flotation desilication process on low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 51.38% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.94. The amount of flotation agent used per ton of bauxite is 900g. After a "one roughing, two cleaning, one scavenging" process, an aluminum concentrate with a yield of 54.36%, an Al2O3 content of 54.40%, and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 6.01 is obtained, along with tailings with a yield of 45.64% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.14.

[0103] Example 4

[0104] The flotation agent described in Example 2 is provided for implementing a positive flotation desilication process on low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 51.38% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.94. The flotation agent dosage is 900g per ton of bauxite. After a "one roughing, two cleaning, one scavenging" process, an aluminum concentrate with a yield of 45.04%, an Al2O3 content of 63.75%, and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 5.26 is obtained, along with tailings with a yield of 54.96% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.07.

[0105] Example 5

[0106] The flotation agent described in Example 1 is provided for implementing a positive flotation desilication process on low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 45.65% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 2.40. The amount of flotation agent used per ton of bauxite is 700g. After a "one roughing, two cleaning, one scavenging" process, an aluminum concentrate with a yield of 54.36%, an Al2O3 content of 54.40%, and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 6.01 is obtained, along with tailings with a yield of 45.64% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.14.

[0107] Example 6

[0108] The flotation agent described in Example 2 is provided for implementing a positive flotation desilication process on low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 45.65% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 2.40. The amount of flotation agent used per ton of bauxite is 700g. After a "one roughing, two cleaning, one scavenging" process, an aluminum concentrate with a yield of 50.13%, an Al2O3 content of 54.15%, and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 6.30 is obtained, along with tailings with a yield of 49.87% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.18.

[0109] Comparative Example 1

[0110] The collector described in Example 1 of Chinese Patent CN201610893112.3 is used for a positive flotation desilication process on low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 51.38% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.94. The collector dosage is 1100g per ton of bauxite. After a "one roughing, two cleaning, one scavenging" process, an aluminum concentrate with a yield of 43.80%, an Al2O3 content of 63.01%, and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 4.47 is obtained, along with tailings with a yield of 56.20% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.17.

[0111] Comparative Example 2

[0112] The collector described in Example 1 of Chinese Patent CN202110013315.X is used for a positive flotation desilication process on low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 45.65% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 2.40. The collector dosage is 1100g per ton of bauxite. After a "one roughing, two cleaning, one scavenging" process, an aluminum concentrate with a yield of 48.42%, an Al2O3 content of 56.75%, and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 5.89 is obtained, along with tailings with a yield of 51.58% and an Aluminum-Silicon ratio of 1.44.

[0113] Table 1 shows the relevant data on the raw materials and positive flotation desilication process implementation results for Examples 3-6 and Comparative Examples 1-2.

[0114]

[0115] Table 1

[0116] As shown in Table 1, the flotation concentrate obtained by the example under the same low-grade bauxite ore sample conditions showed significant improvements in yield and grade (aluminum-silicon ratio) compared to the comparative example, and the reagent dosage was reduced by more than 15%.

[0117] Relevant experimental and effect data:

[0118] The flotation agent provided in Example 1 and the collector provided in Comparative Example 1 were used to react with low-grade bauxite with an Al2O3 content of 51.38% and an aluminum-silicon ratio of 1.94, respectively, and then contact angle tests were performed. Figure 1 The contact angle test diagram of the flotation agent provided in Example 1 after its interaction with bauxite is shown. Figure 2 The contact angle test diagram of the collector after its interaction with bauxite provided for Comparative Example 1. Figure 1 The contact angle is 42.225°. Figure 2 The contact angle was 35.63°, indicating that Example 1 improved the surface properties of bauxite better than Comparative Example 1, thus achieving a better flotation effect.

[0119] Various embodiments of this application may exist in the form of a range; it should be understood that the description in the form of a range is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as a hard limitation on the scope of this application; therefore, it should be considered that the range description has specifically disclosed all possible sub-ranges and single numerical values ​​within that range. For example, it should be considered that the range description from 1 to 6 has specifically disclosed sub-ranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6, etc., and single numbers within the range, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, regardless of the range. Furthermore, whenever a numerical range is referred to herein, it means including any referenced number (fraction or integer) within the referred range.

[0120] In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" specifically refer to the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the description of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," etc., mean "including but not limited to." Moreover, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element. In this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. In this document, "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. For associations involving three or more related objects described using "and / or", it indicates that any one of the three related objects can exist alone, or at least two of them can exist simultaneously. For example, for A, and / or B, and / or C, it can mean that any one of A, B, and C exists alone, or any two of them exist simultaneously, or all three of them exist simultaneously. In this document, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one", "at least one of the following", or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c", or "at least one of a, b, and c", can both mean: a, b, c, ab (i.e., a and b), ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can each be single or multiple.

[0121] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A flotation agent, characterized in that, The flotation agent comprises at least one molecule represented by general chemical formula (I): (Ⅰ) Among them, R3 and R6 are both hydrophilic groups. R1 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group, and R4 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrophilic group; Both R2 and R5 are hydrophobic groups, and both R2 and R5 contain at least 12 carbon atoms.

2. The flotation agent according to claim 1, characterized in that, R2 is a hydrocarbon group; and / or, R5 is a hydrocarbon group.

3. The flotation agent according to claim 2, characterized in that, R2 is an alkyl group; and / or, R5 is an alkyl group.

4. The flotation agent according to claim 1, characterized in that, R2 contains 18 carbon atoms; and / or, R5 consists of 18 carbon atoms.

5. The flotation agent according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrophilic group in R1 is a sulfonic acid group; and / or, The hydrophilic group in R4 is a sulfonic acid group; and / or, R3 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid group; and / or, R6 is a hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid group.

6. A method for preparing the flotation agent as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The preparation method of the flotation agent includes a first method or a second method. The first method has the following steps: The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether; The first intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent. The second method includes the following steps: The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether; The second intermediate is obtained by reacting the first intermediate with a sulfonating agent; The second intermediate product is reacted with sodium hydroxide to obtain the flotation agent.

7. The method for preparing the flotation agent according to claim 6, characterized in that, The unsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid.

8. The method for preparing the flotation agent according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether, wherein the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is concentrated sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or aluminum chloride; and / or The first intermediate product is obtained by reacting unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether, wherein the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with diphenyl ether is carried out under inert gas protection.

9. An application of a flotation agent, characterized in that, The flotation agent is the flotation agent according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the flotation agent is applied to the bauxite positive flotation desilication process.

10. The application of the flotation agent according to claim 9, characterized in that, The bauxite positive flotation desilication process uses low-grade bauxite as raw material, and the aluminum-silicon ratio of the low-grade bauxite is 1.8~2.6.

Images