Pickering emulsion by using nanoparticles would reduce the amount of emulsifier, and generate environmentally friendly reagents, which can be employed on different processes. However, there is no published report on the application of Pickering emulsions in mineral beneficiation by flotation separation. Collector emulsification is an effective way to improve flotation performance. β-cyclodextrin is a granular emulsifier that has been widely considered in various investigation. As a comparative investigation, this study explored the application of the β-cyclodextrin/kerosene Pickering emulsion as a collector for the flotation beneficiation of a low grade graphite ore. The response surface design was applied to investigate the influence of the water phase ratio, β-cyclodextrin weight, stirring time, stirring intensity, and the interaction of these factors on the emulsion droplet size and emulsion stability. The β-cyclodextrin weight optimization test showed that the Pickering emulsion reached its optimum flotation performance when the weight of β-cyclodextrin was 0.10 g. Surface analyses (zeta potential and contact angle measurements) indicated that the emulsion is stabilized by vesicles, which are self-assembled by inclusion compounds formed by kerosene and β-cyclodextrin. The developed Pickering emulsion could improve the graphite recovery by 6%.

Pickering emulsion,kerosene,β-cyclodextrin,graphite,flotation