Determination of the critical surface tension of wetting of minerals treated with surfactants by shear flocculation approach

This paper contributes the shear flocculation method as a new approach to determine the critical surface tension of wetting of minerals treated with surfactants. This newly developed approach is based on the decrease of the shear flocculation of the mineral suspension, with decreasing of the surface tension of the liquids used. The solution surface tension value at which shear flocculation does not occur can be defined as the critical surface tension of wetting (gamma c) of the mineral. By using the shear flocculation method, the critical surface tensions of wetting (gamma c) for calcite and barite minerals, treated with surfactants, were obtained as 30.9 and 35.0 mN/m, respectively. These values are in good agreement with data reported previously on the same minerals obtained by the contact angle measurement and flotation methods. The chemical agents used for the treatment of calcite and barite particles were sodium oleate and sodium dodecyl sulfate, respectively.