ABSTRACT
Metallic ions contained in mining waters are dangerous pollutants representing at the sometime potential sources of useful compounds. Among the known separation methods, those generally named “adsorptive bubbles separation methods” especially ion and precipitate flotation offer an optimum alternative to the classical methods. The present paper studies the behaviour of alkylhydroxamic acids (C7-C9) as unstudied collector and complexing reagents in ion and precipitate flotation. The surface tension properties of the collector reagents were investigated by surface tension isotherms. Complexing reagent function was studied by the formation of insoluble species with metallic ions (Cu) followed by their separation using ion and precipitate flotation. The influencing factors were studied: pH, molar ratio (cc:cCu(II)), metallic ion concentration and foam processing. The colligend-collector interaction was investigated using IR spectrometry, thermal analysis, chemical elementary analysis and has established the nature of bonding in sublate which allows the evaluation of final product recovery. The separation yields (R>97%) the possibility of foam processing and finally metallic ion confirm the collector quality of the alkylhydroxamic acids studied. The good separation, efficiency, selectivity and possibility of foam processing represent the main characteristics of the proposed method.
