ABSTRACT
As a result of thermodynamic analysis of mineral-sodium oleate-water systems, flotation and adsorption tests at various pH values and sodium oleate concentrations, it has been established that regularities of non-sulphide minerals flotation cannot be explained by the existing hypotheses and theories. The novel hypothesis, connecting optimal flotation conditions with zero charge of mineral surface, allowed to explain the regularities of minerals flotation observed, and to derive the quantitative physico-chemical models of optimal conditions for activation, deactivation, flotation and separation of non-sulphide minerals as well as for conditioning of recycling waters in flotation suitable for improving of industrial processes, and application in automatic control systems at the plants.
