Forming superhydrophobic surfaces for mineral separation at water pulsating jigs

Superhydrophobic particles experience less drag force at settling in water. This is because these particles possess air layers around their surfaces, which induce slip at the air-water interface. This study tests the hypothesis that the minerals with superhydrophobic surfaces can be separated well at water pulsating jigs due to the associated drag reduction. For that purpose, superhydrophobic mineral surfaces were generated by spray coating the reagents on particles, and subsequent drying of particles. Then, (i) the settling behavior and (ii) the jigging products of the spray-coated and uncoated particles were evaluated. Results provide strong evidence for the drag-reduction-related separation of spray-coated particles. Spray coating without drying can also promote separation. Selective coating of minerals is effective at jigging with slow water pulsation. However, excessive coatings will hinder the separation.