The primary source of lithium is spodumene, a mineral is commonly associated with aluminosilicate minerals like feldspar. Flotation is widely regarded as the most effective method for separating spodumene from feldspar. The efficiency of this separation process is largely dependent on the choice of flotation reagents. In this work, an efficient collector, sodium N-oleoylsarcosinate (SNOS), was employed to achieve the separation of spodumene and feldspar. To investigate the flotation behavior and underlying mechanism, a comprehensive approach involving flotation tests, solution chemical calculation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle measurements, atomic force microscope (AFM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations was launched. Operating under optimal conditions, Li₂O demonstrated a recovery of 88.59% and a concentrate grade of 7.12% in the mixed minerals flotation. Due to more O and Al active sites on spodumene, SNOS exhibited strong chemisorption and multilayer adsorption on Ca(II)-activated spodumene. Remarkably, SNOS, with its three oxygen sites, displayed a robust reaction with Ca(Ⅱ)-activated spodumene, boasting an adsorption energy as substantial as −789.41 kJ/mol. In contrast, the interaction of SNOS with Ca(Ⅱ)-activated feldspar was negligible. Therefore, the proficient SNOS collector with notable selectivity, holds immense potential for practical application in the flotation of real spodumene ores.

锂的主要来源是锂辉石，这种矿物通常与长石等铝硅酸盐矿物伴生。浮选被广泛认为是从长石中分离锂辉石的最有效方法。该分离过程的效率很大程度上取决于浮选试剂的选择。在这项工作中，采用一种高效的捕收剂N-油酰肌氨酸钠（SNOS）来实现锂辉石和长石的分离。为了研究浮选行为和潜在机制，推出了涉及浮选测试、溶液化学计算、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、接触角测量、原子力显微镜（AFM）和密度泛函理论（DFT）计算的综合方法。在最佳条件下运行，Li ₂在混合矿物浮选中，O 的回收率为 88.59%，精矿品位为 7.12%。由于锂辉石上有更多的O和Al活性位点，SNOS对Ca(II)活化的锂辉石表现出很强的化学吸附和多层吸附。值得注意的是，具有三个氧位点的 SNOS 与 Ca(II) 激活的锂辉石表现出强烈的反应，吸附能高达 -789.41 kJ/mol。相比之下，SNOS 与 Ca(Ⅱ) 激活长石的相互作用可以忽略不计。因此，具有显着选择性的高效 SNOS 捕收剂在实际锂辉石矿石浮选中具有巨大的实际应用潜力。