Method for Selecting Structure and Composition of Hydrocarbon Fragment in Molecule of a Collecting Agent

Based on the relationship between collectability of flotation agent to flow thickness of its physically attached species desorbed from mineral surface to gas-liquid interface, the backbone of the method for selecting structure and composition of the collecting agent molecule is developed. The method application discloses effects exerted by the structure and composition of hydrocarbon fragment in the collecting agent molecule on the useful component recovery and concentration quality. In terms of the known colleting agents (branched carboxylic acids, N-acyl amino acids and oxyacids, as well as nonsulphide flotation regulating agents—oxyethylated aliphatic alcohols), the reasons of the selections as collecting and regulating agents in flotation of apatite, quarts, hematite and magnetite are shown. Influence of some structural features of hydrocarbon radical on collecting ability of an agent is found, namely, length and arrangement of side chains, distance between carboxylic and amide groups in N-acyl amine acids, number of oxyethyl groups and their arrangement in hydrocarbon g↡agment of alcohols or oxyacid.