Bioflotation of apatite and quartz: Particle size effect on the rate constant

This work deals with the fundamental aspects of apatite and quartz bioflotation using R. opacus bacteria as a bioreagent. It was observed that the flotability of both minerals depends on the pH value and the mineral particle size. The maximum flotability of both minerals was presented at a pH value of 5, achieving values of 90% and 14% for apatite and quartz, respectively, after seven minutes of flotation. The kinetics analysis showed that the smaller the apatite particle size, the lower its bioflotation rate value. On the other hand, the smaller the quartz particle size, the higher its bioflo...