The invention relates to a synthesis of a novel
coal flotation agent. The synthesis includes adding concentrated acid into
phthalic anhydride and n-butyl
alcohol dropwise slowly, slightly boiling a reaction mixture, when the reaction mixture is cooled to 30-70 DEG C, neutralizing the reaction mixture via a
sodium carbonate solution till an
organic layer is neutral, removing the excess n-butyl
alcohol and water by means of reduced pressure
distillation after separation, adding diethanol amine into an
oil bath pan dropwise slowly with heating and stirring, and removing the unreacted n-butyl
alcohol and diethanol amine by means of reduced pressure
distillation after cooling so as to obtain o-
butyl formate benzoic acid alkanolamide, namely the novel
coal flotation agent. The defects that an existing
coal flotation agent only has a
signal floatation function and a
foaming agent needs to be added additionally are overcome. The novel coal flotation agent has the floatation function as well as a foaming function, and is simple in preparation method, low in cost and high in floatation efficiency.