Enhancement of attachment efficiency of apolar collectors at diamonds

A promising way to enhance extraction of commercial diamonds from kimberlite deposits is selecting compositions of collectors and regimes of their application temperatures. Using the procedure developed to determine attachment efficiency of an apolar collector, it is shown that the determinants of diamond flotation are both adhesion ability of the collector, defined by the value of a wetting angle, and attachment stability, characterizes by a diameter of a wetted perimeter of the collector drop held by the mineral surface at the build-up of fluid level. It is shown that the stable attachment condition is the sufficient viscosity of collectors. Using the spectrum procedure of estimating distribution and attachment of collector, the critical function of fraction of asphaltenes and petroleum resins in stable attachment of a compound collector at diamond surface and in floatability of diamonds is determined. Asphaltene–resin fraction concentrates and attaches to diamond surface, ensuring thereby steady hydrophobization of this surface and stable attachment of the compound collector. The recommendations are given for heating recycling water and collectors to maintain ambient temperature in operations of water conditioning and froth separation within an optimal range of 14—24 °C. Collectors are proposed to be based on mazut M-40 with addition of diesel process fraction and aliphatic ketones, to ensure efficient flotation of diamonds from diamond-bearing products under low temperatures. Testing of developed collectors KSM-1 and KSM-2 on an automated froth separator proves the expansibility of diamond extraction to concentrate by 7.5% and the possibility of reducing collector consumption by 20%.

Morozov V. V., Kovalenko E. G., Pestryak I. V., Lezova S. P., Polivanskaya V. V., Enhancement of attachment efficiency of apolar collectors at diamonds. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(5):130-143. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_5_0_130.

V.V. Morozov¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Professor, e-mail: dchmggu@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4105-944X,
E.G. Kovalenko, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Chief Engineer, «Yakutniproalmaz» Institute, 678174, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Mirny, Russia, e-mail: kovalenkoeg@alrosa.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0320-0839,
I.V. Pestryak¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, e-mail: spestryak@mail.ru,
S.P. Lezova¹, Senior Lecturer, e-mail: svlezova@mail.ru,
V.V. Polivanskaya¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: vpolivaskaya@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1973-0914,
¹ NUST MISIS, 119049, Moscow, Russia.

V.V. Morozov, e-mail: dchmggu@mail.ru.

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