STUDY OF THE ROLE OF MICROBIALS IN SELECTIVE MINERAL SEPARATION PROCESS BY FLOTATION
One of the beneficiation methods that can be used to get high-grade minerals is flotation. In the selective flotation, chemical reagents are required to optimize mineral separation. However, some chemical reagents used in the flotation process have a negative impact on the environment. For example,...
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| Format: | Final Project |
| Language: | Indonesia |
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| Online Access: | https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/51583 |
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| Institution: | Institut Teknologi Bandung |
| Language: | Indonesia |
| Summary: | One of the beneficiation methods that can be used to get high-grade minerals is flotation. In the selective flotation, chemical reagents are required to optimize mineral separation. However, some chemical reagents used in the flotation process have a negative impact on the environment. For example, heavy metals in the reagents can pollute the environment. Heavy metals are not biodegradable and dangerous on life because they can enter the food chain through sewage channels. One possible way to reduce the negative effect on the environment is the use of biotechnology, such as bio-flotation and bio-flocculation. Bio-flotation is carried out by utilizing microbes as flotation reagents, such as collectors or depressants. It is reported that the activity of microbes can increase the selectivity of minerals in flotation.
Before bio-flotation, mineral interactions with microbes are carried out. Analysis of mineral and microbial interactions can be done by measuring the contact angle and measuring zeta potential. It aims to determine the microbial adsorption that occurs on the surface. Surface analysis technique such as SEM-EDX is used to characterize the change on the mineral surface. Analysis of functional groups or metabolite products produced by microbes can be conducted using infrared spectroscopy (IR) and UV-visible spectrophotometry. One of the interactions of microbes with minerals, known as biomodification, is the adsorption process or chemical reactions with metabolite products (EPS). The surface of certain minerals can be modified due to selective adsorption; therefore, separation of valuable minerals from their impurities can be achieved. Microbes in the bio-flotation process can act as collectors, thus increasing mineral flotation or depressants that can suppress mineral flotation.
The factors that influence the process of microbial interaction with minerals are electrostatic bonds between microbes and minerals, pH when mineral and microbial interactions occur, and ionic content in metal minerals. Meanwhile, the factors that influence the bio-flotation process are the size of the mineral particles, the microbial incubation time, the conditioning time of bio-flotation, the concentration of bioreagents, the solution pH, and the addition of other chemical reagents. |
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