RESUMEN
Surface nanobubbles have been identified to play an important role in a range of industries from mineral processing to food science. The formation of surface nanobubbles is of importance for mineral processing in the extraction of complex ores, such as those containing rare earth elements. This is due to the way minerals are extracted utilising froth flotation. In this study, surface nanobubbles were imaged using non-contact atomic force microscopy on a polished cross section containing rare earth minerals. Nanobubbles were found on synchysite under reagent conditions expected to induce hydrophobicity in rare earth minerals, which is required for efficient processing. Synchysite -(Ce) is a rare earth fluorcarbonate mineral containing over 30% rare earth elements. Relatively little research has been conducted on synchysite, with only a few papers on its surface behaviour and flotation. The resulting nanobubbles were analysed and showed an average contact angle of 24°â¯±â¯8. These are in line with contact angles found on dolomite and galena by previous studies.
RESUMEN
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C8RA07952H.].
RESUMEN
Surface nanobubbles are of wide interest to a number of research fields, ranging from mineral processing to metamaterials. Their formation on hydrophobic surfaces has long been confirmed but the factors controlling their size and location are less well understood. In this work we investigate, using non-contact atomic force microscopy, the properties of surface nanobubbles on the mineral dolomite under three aqueous solutions; water, depressant and collector. Nanobubbles were observed under all three conditions, but with the highest density observed under collector conditions. Analysis of the critical angle of the bubbles suggests that the collector does not affect the surface tension of the bubbles, but instead does affect their pinning, consistent with the observed increased density.