Frothers for mineral flotation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643193-B2
Application number	US-201615215190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Oct 1, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

The invention provides methods and compositions for improving a froth flotation type separation. The method uses a microemulsion to improve the effectiveness of a frother. The improvement allows for low dosages of frother to work as well as much greater amounts of non-microemulsified frother.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microemulsion for improving the efficiency of froth separation, the microemulsion comprising a continuous phase which is a carrier fluid and a dispersed phase, wherein the microemulsion as a whole by weight is made up of: 1-99% water, 1-50% of an alcohol blend which is from the waste stream of the production of 2-ethyl hexanol, 1-20% C8-C10 fatty acids, 1-30% 2-butoxy ethanol, and 1-10% potassium hydroxide.

2. A blend of a slurry in a medium comprising: the microemulsion of claim 1 , a medium, and fines.

3. The blend of claim 2 , wherein the fines comprise an ore selected from: copper, gold, silver, iron, lead, nickel, cobalt, platinum, zinc, coal, barite, calamine, feldspar, fluorite, heavy metal oxides, talc, potash, phosphate, iron, graphite, kaolin clay, bauxite, pyrite, mica, quartz, sulfide ore, complex sulfide ore, non-sulfide ore, and any combination thereof.

4. The microemulsion of claim 1 further comprising 1-20% by weight of propylene glycol, wherein the microemulsion contains 1-15% by weight of the C8-C10 fatty acids.

5. A blend comprising: the microemulsion of claim 4 , a medium, and fines.

6. The blend of claim 5 , wherein the fines comprise an ore selected from: copper, gold, silver, iron, lead, nickel, cobalt, platinum, zinc, coal, barite, calamine, feldspar, fluorite, heavy metal oxides, talc, potash, phosphate, iron, graphite, kaolin clay, bauxite, pyrite, mica, quartz, sulfide ore, complex sulfide ore, non-sulfide ore, and any combination thereof.

7. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the continuous phase is water.

8. The microemulsion of claim 1 further comprising a surfactant selected from the group consisting of: polyoxyalkylene homopolymers, polyoxyalkylene copolymers, straight chain polyhydric polymers, branched polyhydric polymers, C8-C35 fatty acid salts, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol ethers, glycol ethers, ethoxylated sorbitan esters, soy lecithin, sodium stearoyl lactylate, diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglyceride), detergents, and any combination thereof.

9. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises one item selected from the group consisting of: water, alcohol, aromatic liquid, phenol, azeotropes, and any combination thereof.

10. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the microemulsion further comprises a surfactant.

11. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the frother would not remain in a stable emulsion state unless in a microemulsion form.

12. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the microemulsion comprises a surfactant along with at least one co-surfactant.

13. The microemulsion of claim 1 , wherein the frother comprises only one or a combination of more than one active frother components.

14. The microemulsion of claim 1 further comprising one item selected from the group consisting of: 2-ethylhexan-1-ol, alcohols with no less than 12 carbon atoms, diols with no less than 8 carbon atoms, alkyl ethers, alkyl esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, C 12 H 24 O pyran, C 12 H 22 O pyran, aliphatic aldehydes, aliphatic acetals, and any combination thereof.

15. A microemulsion for improving the efficiency of froth separation, the microemulsion comprising a continuous phase which is a carrier fluid and a dispersed phase, wherein the microemulsion as a whole by weight is made up of: 1-99% water, 1-50% of an alcohol blend which is from the waste stream of the production of 2-ethyl hexanol, 1-20% C8-C10 fatty acids, 1-30% propylene glycol, and 1-10% potassium hydroxide.

16. A blend comprising: the microemulsion of claim 15 , a medium, and fines.

17. The blend of claim 16 , wherein the fines comprise an ore selected from: copper, gold, silver, iron, lead, nickel, cobalt, platinum, zinc, coal, barite, calamine, feldspar, fluorite, heavy metal oxides, talc, potash, phosphate, iron, graphite, kaolin clay, bauxite, pyrite, mica, quartz, sulfide ore, complex sulfide ore, non-sulfide ore, and any combination thereof.

18. A microemulsion for improving the efficiency of froth separation, the microemulsion comprising a continuous phase which is a carrier fluid and a dispersed phase, wherein the microemulsion as a whole by weight is made up of: 1-99% water, 1-50% of an alcohol blend which is from the waste stream of the production of 2-ethyl hexanol, 1-30% 2-ethyl hexanoic acid, 1-20% 2-butoxy ethanol, and 1-10% potassium hydroxide.

19. A blend comprising: the microemulsion of claim 18 , a medium, and fines.

20. The blend of claim 19 , wherein the fines comprise an ore selected from: copper, gold, silver, iron, lead, nickel, cobalt, platinum, zinc, coal, barite, calamine, feldspar, fluorite, heavy metal oxides, talc, potash, phosphate, iron, graphite, kaolin clay, bauxite, pyrite, mica, quartz, sulfide ore, complex sulfide ore, non-sulfide ore, and any combination thereof.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Counter James Adrian
• Kildea John D

Classifications

• B03D1/0043 Primary

  modified so as to contain a polyether group · CPC title

• B03D1/018 Primary

  Mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds · CPC title

• B03D1/008

  containing oxygen · CPC title

• B03D2201/04

  Frothers · CPC title

• B03D2203/08

  Coal ores, fly ash or soot · CPC title