Effect of inevitable ions on kerosene droplet formation and evolution

Abstract

Understanding the effect of ions on collector generation characteristics is crucial for adjusting the oil/water interface and enhancing mineral flotation. We conducted a study of kerosene droplet generation process in the presences of NaCl, MgCl2 and AlCl3 using the high‐speed motion acquisition system. The results showed that the generation process of kerosene droplet could be divided into two stages that droplet expansion and column contraction according to the variation of the droplet width. With the increasing capillary inner diameter, the generation time of the kerosene droplet increased while the w/h value (column width/column height) of the kerosene column decreased. Until the w/h value decreased to 0, the droplet column ruptured and the droplet separated from the capillary. As the ion valence increased, the equivalent diameter (d) of the kerosene droplet increased due to the ionic hydration and followed the order dAl3+ > dMg2+ > dNa+. Furthermore, as the ion concentration increased, the equivalent diameter increased with the same capillary inner diameter, and the w/h value decreased. A model of the kerosene column height and capillary inner diameter (R) was established to predict the characteristics of the generating kerosene droplet.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.