Citric acid inhibits the floatability of quartz in the Mg2+ system

Citric acid is a small-molecule organic acid, which can be used as an inhibitor for the flotation of Mg2+ activated quartz. Methods such as flotation experiments, zeta potential, FTIR qualitative and quantitative calculations, and solution chemistry calculations were used in this study to conduct systematic research to study activation and inhibition mechanisms. The results show that adding only a quarter of citric acid under the optimal conditions of Mg2+ activated quartz produces the best inhibitory effect. Mg2+ and citric acid affect the zeta potential of the quartz surface in the zeta potential experiment. FTIR qualitatively found that under the action of Mg2+, sodium oleate was adsorbed on the quartz surface in the form of physical adsorption; quantitative analysis clearly explained that after the chemical reaction between citric acid and Mg2+, it desorbed from the quartz surface into the water system. According to the chemical calculation of the solution during the flotation process, it is found that the reaction product of citric acid and Mg2+ has no inhibitory effect; only the amount of Mg2+ is consumed, thereby reducing the number of activating factors and cutting off the medium of sodium oleate adsorbed on the surface of the quartz.