Flotation of sylvite with dodecylamine and the effect of added long chain alcohols

In the potash production industry, sylvite is selectively floated from halite with the use of cationic collectors. Due to the high solubility of the KCl and NaCl minerals, the process has to be conducted in saturated brines of these salts and at very high collector concentration. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in this peculiar selective flotation process has progressed well in the recent years and is briefly discussed herein. s of the effect of the addition of long chain alcohols on the dodecylamine adsorption and flotation of KCl were undertaken and the results are presented. Potassium chloride flotation with dodecylamine was enhanced by the addition of hexyl and octyl alcohol with the best results in the concentration range of from 6 to 8 × 10−3 M. Decyl alcohol had a less effective influence on KCl floatability. The surface tension of dodecylamine solution as a function of KCl concentration and the lowering of the amine critical micelle concentration in KCl saturated solution were also studied and the role of the long chain alcohol addition on the flotation recovery of potassium chloride with dodecylamine is discussed.