Effect of Apolar Reagents and Surfactants on the Stability of a Flotation Complex

A mechanism is proposed to explain the phenomenon whereby the strength of the bond between a mineral particle and a gas bubble is increased by introducing apolar reagents and surfactants into the chamber of the flotation machine. The strengthening effect is due to the tangential force that arises on the surface of the bubble and counteracts the separating force. An estimate is made of the effect of the force on the coarseness of particles undergoing flotation.