Study on the Influence of Low-Temperature Hydrogen Plasma Reconstruction on the Surface Properties and Flotability of Hematite

Low-temperature plasma technology, as a new green and environmentally friendly surface modification technology, has attracted much attention due to its simple operation, high safety index, fast reaction speed, and low power consumption. In this study, the surface of hematite was treated by hydrogen plasma, and the surface characteristics of hematite were reconstructed to reduce the amount of inhibitor starch and realize the efficient separation of hematite and quartz. The experimental results show that the inhibitory effect of cornstarch on hematite was significantly improved under the optimal treatment conditions of power 240 W, gas flow rate 400 ml/min, and time 20 min. When the optimal starch dosage of artificial mixed ore was 4 mg/L, the selectivity index increased by 3.3784. Mechanism analysis shows that the oxygen atom on the surface of hematite was etched by hydrogen plasma, leading to changes in the active site, thus increasing the adsorption amount of starch, while the surface of quartz has little effect.