The effect of the composite grinding aid PEG/TIPA on the flotation behavior of quartz in a TTAC system

Incorporation of grinding aid into mineral comminution has been demonstrated to promote energy utilization and potentially optimize the flotation response of the resulting products. The present work undertook a comprehensive, systematic examination of quartz particle flotation behavior under TTAC collector conditions, specifically focusing on the modulatory effects exerted by a binary grinding aid system composed of PEG and TIPA. The findings demonstrate that introducing grinding additives can effectively enhance the comminution efficiency and flotation response of quartz. Moreover, the composite grinding aid exhibited superior performance compared with individual additives, indicating a synergistic effect between the components. At a dosage of 0.06% for the PEG/TIPA composite grinding aid, with a PEG:TIPA ratio of 2:1, the -0.074 mm particle size fraction reached 86.09%, and the flotation recovery reached 94.17%. Microstructural examination via SEM indicated that introducing the grinding aid generated supplementary fractures across quartz surfaces while concomitantly diminishing particulate agglomeration. Spectroscopic investigations employing FT-IR and XPS demonstrated that the composite grinding aid functioned synergistically with TTAC to alter interfacial properties of the mineral. Specifically, TTAC adhered to quartz primarily via physical adsorption mechanisms, whereas the composite additive established surface attachment through both hydrogen bonding and electrostatic adsorption. Importantly, no antagonistic adsorption behavior was observed between the composite reagent and TTAC. Zeta potential measurements further confirm that -OH groups in the solution undergo ionization, and the grinding aid and collector work synergistically to enhance the flotation performance of quartz.