A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses
Summary: Separating rare-earth-element-rich minerals from unwanted gangue in mined ores relies on selective binding of collector molecules at the interface to facilitate froth flotation. Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) exhibits enhanced selectivity for bastnäsite over calcite in microflotation experime...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-09-01
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| Series: | iScience |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220306258 |
| _version_ | 1818273979289305088 |
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| author | Robert C. Chapleski, Jr. Azhad U. Chowdhury Anna K. Wanhala Vera Bocharova Santanu Roy Philip C. Keller Dylan Everly Santa Jansone-Popova Alexander Kisliuk Robert L. Sacci Andrew G. Stack Corby G. Anderson Benjamin Doughty Vyacheslav S. Bryantsev |
| author_facet | Robert C. Chapleski, Jr. Azhad U. Chowdhury Anna K. Wanhala Vera Bocharova Santanu Roy Philip C. Keller Dylan Everly Santa Jansone-Popova Alexander Kisliuk Robert L. Sacci Andrew G. Stack Corby G. Anderson Benjamin Doughty Vyacheslav S. Bryantsev |
| author_sort | Robert C. Chapleski, Jr. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Separating rare-earth-element-rich minerals from unwanted gangue in mined ores relies on selective binding of collector molecules at the interface to facilitate froth flotation. Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) exhibits enhanced selectivity for bastnäsite over calcite in microflotation experiments. Through a multifaceted approach, leveraging density functional theory calculations, and advanced spectroscopic methods, we provide molecular-level mechanistic insight to this selectivity. The hydroxamic acid moiety introduces strong interactions at metal-atom surface sites and hinders subsurface-cation stabilization at vacancy-defect sites, in calcite especially. Resulting from hydrogen-bond-induced interactions, SHA lies flat on the bastnäsite surface and shows a tendency for multilayer formation at high coverages. In this conformation, SHA complexation with bastnäsite metal ions is stabilized, leading to advanced flotation performance. In contrast, SHA lies perpendicular to the calcite surface due to a difference in cationic spacing. We anticipate that these insights will motivate rational design and selection of future collector molecules for enhanced ore beneficiation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:06:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-24f09abe47e8481eb5b702371798bf9c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:06:34Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-24f09abe47e8481eb5b702371798bf9c2022-12-22T00:10:21ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422020-09-01239101435A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large LossesRobert C. Chapleski, Jr.0Azhad U. Chowdhury1Anna K. Wanhala2Vera Bocharova3Santanu Roy4Philip C. Keller5Dylan Everly6Santa Jansone-Popova7Alexander Kisliuk8Robert L. Sacci9Andrew G. Stack10Corby G. Anderson11Benjamin Doughty12Vyacheslav S. Bryantsev13Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAKroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USAKroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USAKroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USAChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USA; Corresponding authorChemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 27831, USA; Corresponding authorSummary: Separating rare-earth-element-rich minerals from unwanted gangue in mined ores relies on selective binding of collector molecules at the interface to facilitate froth flotation. Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHA) exhibits enhanced selectivity for bastnäsite over calcite in microflotation experiments. Through a multifaceted approach, leveraging density functional theory calculations, and advanced spectroscopic methods, we provide molecular-level mechanistic insight to this selectivity. The hydroxamic acid moiety introduces strong interactions at metal-atom surface sites and hinders subsurface-cation stabilization at vacancy-defect sites, in calcite especially. Resulting from hydrogen-bond-induced interactions, SHA lies flat on the bastnäsite surface and shows a tendency for multilayer formation at high coverages. In this conformation, SHA complexation with bastnäsite metal ions is stabilized, leading to advanced flotation performance. In contrast, SHA lies perpendicular to the calcite surface due to a difference in cationic spacing. We anticipate that these insights will motivate rational design and selection of future collector molecules for enhanced ore beneficiation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220306258Chemical EngineeringSpectroscopyPhysical Inorganic ChemistrySurface Chemistry |
| spellingShingle | Robert C. Chapleski, Jr. Azhad U. Chowdhury Anna K. Wanhala Vera Bocharova Santanu Roy Philip C. Keller Dylan Everly Santa Jansone-Popova Alexander Kisliuk Robert L. Sacci Andrew G. Stack Corby G. Anderson Benjamin Doughty Vyacheslav S. Bryantsev A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses iScience Chemical Engineering Spectroscopy Physical Inorganic Chemistry Surface Chemistry |
| title | A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses |
| title_full | A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses |
| title_fullStr | A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses |
| title_short | A Molecular-Scale Approach to Rare-Earth Beneficiation: Thinking Small to Avoid Large Losses |
| title_sort | molecular scale approach to rare earth beneficiation thinking small to avoid large losses |
| topic | Chemical Engineering Spectroscopy Physical Inorganic Chemistry Surface Chemistry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220306258 |
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