As a hazardous waste, tungsten slag contains residual critical strategic metals such as W and Mo, which hold significant recovery value. In this study, a roasting-water leaching method with composite additive has been developed to achieve the efficient recovery of W and Mo. Adding 5% NaCl, 5% Na2CO3, and 15% SiO2 to tungsten slag, followed by roasting at 850 ℃ for 1 h. Subsequently, the roasted product undergoes stirred water leaching for 15 min under the conditions of a liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio of 2:1, a temperature of 25 ℃, and a stirring speed of 300 rpm. Ultimately, the recoveries of W and Mo reach 93.41% and 96.73%, respectively. Additionally, combined with reaction thermodynamic calculations, and characterization methods such as XRD and SEM-EDS, the reaction mechanism during the roasting-water leaching process was analyzed, and the mechanism of the soluble transformation of tungsten during roasting was discussed in detail. The results suggest that in the overall system, CaWO4 reacts with Na+, releasing Ca2+ and WO42-. Meanwhile, SiO2 effectively immobilizes Ca2+ to form more stable Ca2SiO4 or Ca4Si2O7F2. Molybdenite is oxidized at high temperature to form Na2MoO4, achieving the soluble phase transformation of tungsten and molybdenum minerals in the tungsten slag, which facilitates subsequent recovery by water leaching. This study offers new insights into the efficient recovery of W and Mo from tungsten slag.

The collective enrichment of scheelite, wolframite, and cassiterite remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the distinct flotation behaviors of these minerals under Pb-BHA (lead complex of benzohydroxamic acid) through single-mineral flotation experiments. Quantum chemical analysis provides initial insights into the difference in their flotation rates based on their crystal structures. An asynchronous flotation process was designed to replace the synchronous process. And a new collector, Pb-MBHA (lead complex of P-methylbenzohydroxamic acid), was developed to enhance mineral recovery. The new process leverages the differential flotation kinetics of the three W-Sn minerals through the transition from a single- to dual-process, and employs stage-tailored pH conditions and flotation reagents to produce distinct concentrates. The new process and collector, implemented in a 1500 t/d concentrator, significantly increased the recovery rates of tungsten and tin. The recovery rate of WO3 increased from 70 % to 78 %, while the recovery rate of Sn increased from 9 % to 22 %, generating an additional profit of $18,661.67/d. this research provides a very meaningful new approach to the comprehensive recovery of W-Sn minerals in complex W-Sn deposits

The effects of jet velocity, agitation speed, and air supplement flow rate on bubble size distribution were systematically investigated in a novel jet-mechanical agitation (JMA) flotation column. The results show that increasing jet velocity effectively reduces the maximum bubble size dmax from 4.74 mm to 4.24 mm while the Sauter mean diameter d32 remains around 2.00 mm, indicating a limited effect on the overall bubble size distribution. Shear-driven breakup and swirling-induced coalescence counterbalance each other under different agitation speeds, keeping d32 near 1.90 mm while the C value declines from 0.43 to 0.38, indicating reduced uniformity at excessive speeds. The air supplement flow rate exerts a stronger influence than jet velocity or agitation speed, raising d32 markedly from 0.44 mm to 2.61 mm while simultaneously increasing the proportions of both -0.10 mm and + 1.00 mm bubbles. An empirical d32 model (with coefficients k = 0.583, alpha = -0.30, beta = 0.019, eta = 3.22, gamma = 0.56) was developed, achieving a training error of 4.20% and a LOOCV error of 5.10%, confirming its reliability for predicting bubble size within the investigated range. This study quantifies the individual effects of operational parameters on bubble size, providing an experimental basis for the directional regulation of bubble size distribution and for subsequent flotation research in the JMA flotation column.

For a long time, it has been quite difficult to effectively carry out flotation separation of magnesite and calcite owing to the fact that their physicochemical properties are essentially very similar. However, the primary interfacial mechanisms causing this similar flotation behavior are unknown, impeding predictions of site distribution in the carbonate mineral-collector system. In this study, a multiscale surface complexation modeling (SCM) combining dissolution kinetic, adsorption isotherm, and spectral characterization data was developed. The results demonstrate that magnesite and calcite followed a three-zone dissolution pattern, which was jointly controlled by proton and surface complexation reactions. The release of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions from the crystal lattice regulated the evolution of surface sites and surface wettability. According to the SCM, the surface densities, protonation constants and species distributions of the magnesite and calcite were very similar. The control of sodium oleate (NaOL) adsorption was via dissolved-ion bridging bidentate-binuclear coordination mechanism operating on -MeOL and -CO3MeOL sites. Calcite demonstrated a marginally higher intrinsic binding affinity than that of magnesite, however, its offset by multisite interactions led to similar adsorption capacities and floatability. XPS and SEM-EDS evidence confirmed the formation of multisite complexes, which were also predicted by the SCM. These findings offer molecular insights into the differing adsorption behavior of NaOL, which enhances our understanding of the reactivity at the flotation interface of carbonate minerals. They could also provide a theoretical basis for controlling and predicting the flotation behavior of carbonate minerals.

This paper investigated the performance of Cr-reducing microflora coupled with Fe-Mn modified composite for the removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) under varying nutritional conditions. Two composites (Py1Rh1 and MaRh@Ch-500) were synthesized from Fe-Mn based minerals under specific conditions. In low-nutrient conditions, the Flora+Py1Rh1 and Flora+MaRh@Ch-500 showed low removal rates of only 18.63% and 17.70% at 144 h, respectively, whereas the Flora-only achieved a higher removal efficiency. In sharp contrast, in complete nutrient conditions, the Flora+Py1Rh1 exhibited a high removal rate of 93.94% at 48 h, whereas the Flor-a+MaRh@Ch-500 achieved an even higher removal efficiency of 94.19% within 24 h. At the 125th hour, 3 mL of 1000 mg/L Cr(VI) was added to the Flora+Py1Rh1 and Flora+MaRh@Ch-500 group, and Cr(VI) was almost completely removed within the next 19 h. The above results indicate that complete nutrient supplementation significantly accelerated microbial-mediated Cr(VI) reduction. SEM analysis revealed that under complete nutrient conditions, both the growth and reproduction of microorganisms are promoted. Microbial community analysis revealed that the Fe-Mn-based composite and complete nutrients significantly changed the dominant bacterial genus composition compared to the control group, with a notable enrichment of three specific genera: Paraclostridium, Comamonas, and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_13, which are presumed to play a crucial role in Cr(VI) removal. PICRUSt-based functional prediction revealed that key metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and membrane transport functions. These results highlight the potential of Cr-reducing microflora coupled with Fe-Mn modified composite under nutrient-sufficient conditions as an efficient strategy for remediating Cr(VI) in contaminated wastewater.

Fluorite and bastnaesite are often closely associated. They share similar surface properties, analogous flotation reagent systems, and calcium-bearing gangue minerals, which makes their flotation separation particularly challenging. This review summarizes recent research progress on flotation reagents for fluorite and bastnaesite both domestically and internationally and systematically describes the action mechanisms of these reagents. At the atomic and molecular level, the adsorption characteristics of reagents on the surfaces of rare earth minerals and fluorite are analyzed, and the selective inhibition mechanisms on the crystal planes of calcium-bearing gangue minerals are elucidated. By comparing the structure-activity relationships of reagent functional groups and their flotation performance, the selective separation advantages of novel reagents in rare earth-fluorite symbiotic systems are revealed. On this basis, it is innovatively proposed that combining density functional theory with intelligent reagent design to develop highly selective depressants that match the mineral crystal structure represents a key direction for achieving efficient separation of these two minerals. This provides a theoretical foundation for the efficient and clean utilization of rare earth and fluorite resources.

The effective use of garnet tailings in cementitious systems requires enhancing their pozzolanic reactivity. Highenergy ball milling introduces lattice distortion and creates reactive sites, converting inert garnet tailings into supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). This study investigates the mechanochemical activation of garnet tailings and its effects on reactivity, structural disorder, and hydration. Particle size analysis shows that D50 (median particle size) decreased from 78.45 to 12.56 mu m, while the specific surface area increased from 0.121 to 1.090 m2/g. Lattice characterization reveals crystallite refinement, diffraction peak broadening, lattice strain accumulation, and bond breakage as the fundamental drivers of enhanced activity. Pozzolanic activity demonstrates that the 28 d activity index increased from 54.43 to 82.67 %, confirming a significant improvement in activity. In the Ca(OH)2 (CH) system, hydration products, including ettringite (AFt), hemicarbonate (HC), and monocarbonate (MC) were formed, accompanied by Ca(OH)2 consumption and suppressed calcite (CC). Further analysis revealed a dense matrix, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDS), dominated by calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and alumina-ferrite monosulfate (AFm) phases, with CO2 mainly incorporated into hydration products. These findings demonstrate that mechanical activation markedly enhances the activity of garnet tailings and highlights their potential as sustainable cementitious materials.

Fluorite and scheelite exhibit similar surface physicochemical properties, making their selective separation by flotation challenging. In this study, phenylphosphonic acid (PPA) was employed as a collector to achieve reverse flotation separation without the use of depressants. Micro-flotation results showed that fluorite recovery reached 97.96%, while scheelite recovery remained as low as 8.46%, indicating excellent selectivity. FTIR, UV–Vis, contact angle, and XPS analyses consistently demonstrate that PPA exhibits significantly stronger adsorption affinity toward fluorite than scheelite, resulting in enhanced surface hydrophobicity. Density functional theory calculations reveal that PPA predominantly exists as a divalent anion under flotation conditions and preferentially forms a stable tridentate coordination with surface calcium atoms on fluorite. This configuration is stabilized by strong multi-point coordination and favorable geometric compatibility between the functional groups of PPA and the calcium arrangement on the fluorite surface. These findings demonstrate that selective flotation originates from a spatial matching–controlled interfacial interaction mechanism.

Efficient flotation separation of ilmenite from titanaugite persists a critical technical problem, and collectors play a pivotal role in addressing this bottleneck. Phosphonic acid collectors have shown promising application prospects in ilmenite flotation owing to excellent selectivity, yet generally limited by insufficient collecting capacity, high dosage, and elevated costs. Herein, we reported a metal-group collector Pb–SPA, via chelating lead ions and styrene phosphonic acid (SPA), fundamentally improved the collecting performance of SPA through altering functional group architecture and hydrophobicity. First, flotation efficacy of Pb–SPA was evaluated via flotation tests. Subsequently, the liquid-phase structure of Pb–SPA was elucidated via FTIR, XPS, ESI-MS, and DFT calculations. Finally, the adsorption mechanism of Pb–SPA on mineral surfaces was investigated through contact angle measurements, solution chemistry analysis, zeta potential, FTIR, and XPS. The flotation findings indicated Pb–SPA dramatically increased ilmenite recovery from 54.13% (achieved by single SPA) to 90.98% at Pb2+-to-SPA molar ratio of 1:2, while titanaugite was merely 16.53%, indicating superior collecting capacity and selectivity. Liquid-phase structure analysis revealed that Pb–SPA likely possesses a molecular formula of Pb4L5O(OH) (HL = SPA), with lead ions serving as the electrophilic active sites. Adsorption mechanism revealed ilmenite surface showed significantly enhanced hydrophobicity after Pb–SPA treatment, contributing to the substantially enhanced recovery. The selective adsorption of Pb–SPA on ilmenite primarily occurred through bonding its lead ions with oxygen atoms in Fe(II)—O and Ti—O species, enabling highly selective flotation separation. This study provides novel insights for addressing the challenge of efficient flotation separation of valuable minerals.

Arsenic-alkali leaching residue (AALR) is generated after the treatment of arsenic-alkali residue from antimony refining and is characterized by considerable As/Sb contents and high alkalinity. Direct landfilling of AALR would waste valuable As and Sb resources and may leave long-term environmental risks. In this study, a ceramization route was proposed to prepare lightweight ceramsite from AALR, while recovering As/Sb through volatilization enrichment and stabilizing residual hazardous elements in the sintered product. The effects of sintering temperature and SiO2 content on ceramsite properties, As/Sb migration, phase evolution, and leaching behavior were investigated. The ceramsite prepared at 1000 ℃ with 65.0wt% SiO2 showed balanced properties, with an apparent density of about 1007kg/m3 and a compressive strength of 5.2MPa. During sintering, As and Sb were converted into volatile species and enriched in the collected flue dust, where Sb and As reached 41.13wt% and 19.64wt%, respectively. Phase and microstructural analyses suggested that As/Sb reduction-volatilization occurred before intensive liquid-phase sintering. Subsequently, alkali and alkaline-earth components promoted the formation of an amorphous aluminosilicate matrix, which consolidated pore walls and stabilized residual As/Sb, resulting in low leaching release.

The efficient recovery of glaserite (Na2SO4 & sdot;3K2SO4) from salt lake ores and its subsequent conversion to potassium sulfate (K2SO4) is crucial for sustainable potash fertilizer production. This study investigates the selective flotation separation of glaserite from sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and octadecylamine (OA) as collectors, and further develops a closed-loop chemical conversion process guided by phase diagram analysis. Micro-flotation tests show that SDS achieves a superior glaserite recovery of 82.4% at a dosage of 120 g/t, significantly outperforming OA (67.7%), while neither collector effectively floats sodium sulfate. Multi-spectral (FTIR) and zeta potential analyses, combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, reveal that SDS undergoes strong chemisorption on glaserite surfaces via its sulfonate group with a high adsorption energy of -175.71 kcal/mol, increasing the water contact angle from 32.22 degrees to 63.41 degrees. In contrast, OA exhibits weaker physical adsorption (-33.39 kcal/mol), providing only moderate hydrophobization. Based on the 25 degrees C phase diagrams of the K+, Na+ // Cl-, SO42--H2O quaternary system and the NaCl-KCl-H2O ternary system, a closed-loop process was designed comprising three steps: (1) reaction of KCl with glaserite to precipitate K2SO4; (2) addition of Na2SO4 to the mother liquor to precipitate glaserite; and (3) removal of residual SO4 2- with CaCl2 followed by evaporative crystallization of NaCl, with the final mother liquor recycled. Theoretical calculations based on 100 kg KCl yield 154.00 kg K2SO4, 65 kg glaserite, and 15.3 kg NaCl, with experimental deviations within 3%. The obtained K2SO4 and NaCl purities reach 98.90% and 99.5%. The one-pass potassium ion extraction rate is 86.46%. This integrated flotation-conversion strategy provides a sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly pathway for comprehensive utilization of salt lake resources.

In the context of increasing heavy metal pollution in mining environments, natural organic acids hold significant promise as redox mediators in biogeochemical cycling processes. This study investigated the coupling effects of natural organic acids—humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), and oxalic acid (OA)—with pyrite and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A.f) on antimony transformation. The Sb(III) oxidation rate in the pyrite/Sb(III)/organic acid systems were around 57.7%, while with the addition of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, the oxidative conversion were facilitated, achieving an oxidation rate of 80% at 168 h. In the pyrite/A.f/Sb(III)/HA system, the Sb(III) oxidation rate ultimately reached 92.54%, and the total antimony removal rate increased to 76.24%. Batch tests with varying concentrations of HA, FA, and OA showed that HA promoted Sb(III) oxidation across all tested concentrations, with higher concentrations yielding more pronounced effects. In contrast, varying FA concentrations had no significant impact on Sb(III) oxidation, whereas elevated OA concentrations showed an adverse effect. SEM shows that pyrite from the pyrite/A.f/Sb(III)/HA system has a more complete and thicker layer of secondary minerals formed after the reaction, and XRD analysis shows that it exhibits the strongest stretching vibration signals. These findings indicate that the involvement of HA is more conducive to the oxidation of pyrite or the formation of iron-sulfate secondary minerals with higher Fe(III)-OH content, thereby facilitating the oxidation of Sb(III) and its adsorption/co-precipitation. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of natural organic acids as redox mediators for the synergistic regulation effect on Sb valence state conversion.

The separation of scheelite (CaWO4) from calcite (CaCO3) by froth flotation is inherently challenging because both minerals expose structurally similar surface calcium sites. Calcium dioleate colloids (Ca(Ol)2) overcome this challenge through colloidal-scale interfacial forces that differ fundamentally from the molecular adsorption mechanisms of sodium oleate (NaOl). At pH 10.0 ± 0.1 and a collector dosage of 1 × 10⁻4 mol/L, Ca(Ol)2 increased the modified flotation rate constant of scheelite from 0.0415 to 0.0501 min⁻1, whereas that of calcite decreased from 0.0833 to 0.0394 min⁻1, thereby increasing the selectivity index from 0.50 for NaOl to 1.27 for Ca(Ol)2. To identify the origin of this selectivity, colloidal probe atomic force microscopy (AFM), using a Ca(Ol)2 microsphere attached to the cantilever was performed. The Ca(Ol)2 probe exhibited an attractive jump-in force (0.87 ± 0.06 nN) on scheelite but a sustained repulsive force (0.43 ± 0.02 nN) on calcite. Bubble–mineral collision and attachment measurements further supported these findings: Ca(Ol)2 accelerated liquid-film thinning at the scheelite surface, shortening the three-phase contact line (TPCL) formation time from 5 ms for the untreated surface to 1 ms and thereby promoting rapid bubble–scheelite attachment. These results establish a mechanistic link between colloidal collector–mineral interaction forces and flotation kinetics, demonstrating that the colloidal collectors offer unique advantages in governing selectivity in calcium-containing mineral systems.

Arsenic-alkali leaching residue (AAR), generated during antimony smelting, is a hazardous solid waste containing arsenic and antimony. Its safe disposal and resource-oriented utilization are constrained by the strong stabilization of As- and Sb-bearing species in a high-alkali matrix. Herein, we investigated the alkali locking effect during carbothermal roasting of AAR and proposed a SiO2-assisted roasting strategy to promote the simultaneous volatilization of arsenic and antimony. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that, in a sodium-rich roasting system, representative As- and Sb-bearing species preferentially transform into thermodynamically stable Na3AsO4 and Na3SbO4, thereby suppressing their reductive conversion into volatile As2O3 and Sb2O3. Direct roasting experiments confirmed that simply increasing roasting temperature, carbon dosage, or roasting time was insufficient to achieve efficient simultaneous volatilization of As and Sb, which experimentally supports the existence of the alkali-locking effect. The introduction of SiO2 weakened sodium-induced immobilization by favoring the formation of sodium silicate phases, thereby enhancing the thermodynamic driving force for the generation and release of As2O3 and Sb2O3. Under the conditions of 900 °C, 90 min, 30% carbon dosage, and 10% SiO2 addition, the volatilization rates of arsenic and antimony reached 93.25% and 93.80%, respectively. XRD and SEM-EDS revealed that the addition of SiO2 promoted the reconstruction of Na–Al–Si-bearing phases and the development of porous slag structures, thereby facilitating the mass transfer and volatilization of As/Sb species. Preliminary co-roasting experiments with flotation antimony concentrate suggest the feasibility of using Si-bearing gangue as an in situ additive for AAR treatment. This study provides a thermodynamic and experimental basis for the resource-oriented detoxification of arsenic-alkali leaching residue.

A systematic study was conducted on a novel fine-grained jet-mechanical agitation (FJMA) flotation column to investigate the effects of jet velocity, agitation speed, and air supplement flow rate on bubble size distribution, and a predictive model for the Sauter mean diameter d32 was established. The air supplement flow rate is confirmed as the predominant factor influencing bubble size distribution. Increasing the air supplement flow rate raises the fractions of both fine bubbles (<0.10 mm) and millimeter-scale large bubbles (>1.0 mm), accompanied by a pronounced increase in the Sauter mean diameter d32. Increasing jet velocity effectively reduces the maximum bubble size, though its impact on the overall distribution is limited. A moderate agitation speed improves distribution uniformity, whereas excessive agitation intensifies coalescence, leading to a higher proportion of large bubbles. The empirical d32 model, developed based on experimental data, accurately captures the influence trends of various parameters, with a mean relative error of 5.1%. This study reveals the evolution mechanism of bubble size under coupled multi-physical fields, providing a theoretical basis for regulating bubble populations and intensifying flotation processes in the novel FJMA flotation column.

The core of mineral flotation resides in specific matching between collectors and mineral surfaces. Amid new energy-driven fluorite demand, efficiently separating it from similarly interfaced calcite remains challenging due to non-selective fatty acid collectors. Herein, a novel "crab"-shaped dicarboxylic collector, N-Benzyloxycarbonylglutamic acid (ZGA), was synthesized and its flotation performance was evaluated. Single-mineral flotation showed that at a concentration of 2 x 10-5 mol/L and pH 9, the recovery difference between fluorite and calcite reaches 56.96 %, while the synergistic enhancement of terpineol further boosts fluorite recovery to over 90 %. Surface characterizations confirmed that ZGA undergoes selective adsorption via chemical and electrostatic interactions, which effectively modifies the surface roughness of fluorite and significantly enhances its hydrophobicity. DFT calculations demonstrated the dicarboxylic distance matches alternating Ca2+ on fluorite (111), enabling stable adsorption with an adsorption energy of-325.256 kJ/mol. Flotation practice yielded improved metrics, with the CaF2 concentrate grade reaching 96.45 % and recovery increasing by 2.76 %. These findings offer valuable insights for the design of collector selective to fluorite, while facilitating the efficient and clean separation of strategic calcium-containing minerals.

Hydroxamic acids exhibit excellent selectivity in scheelite flotation, however, their relatively weak collecting ability restricts industrial application. In this study, mmethylbenzohydroxamic acid (3MBHA) was designed by introducing a methyl substituent into the benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) structure to enhance collector performance through combined hydrophobic and electronic effects. Flotation experiments demonstrated that 3MBHA achieved significantly higher scheelite recovery than BHA under identical conditions. Surface tension measurements and logP analysis revealed that methyl substitution increased the nonpolar surface area and hydrophobicity of the collector. UV-visible spectroscopy confirmed that 3MBHA exhibits a stronger interaction with lead species, resulting in the formation of more metal-hydroxamate complexes in solution. Correspondingly, zeta potential measurements showed a more pronounced positive shift of the scheelite surface after treatment with Pb-3MBHA, indicating enhanced adsorption. These results demonstrate that methyl substitution effectively regulates both the electronic structure and hydrophobicity of hydroxamic acids, providing a rational strategy for the design of high-efficiency collectors for scheelite flotation.

Nitrilotrimethylene phosphonic acid (nitrilotri, ATMP) enables effective flotation separation of fluorite from bastnaesite through selective surface modification. A multi-technique investigation including micro-flotation tests, zeta potential measurements, contact angle analysis, adsorption studies, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization, and quantum chemical calculations can elucidate the inhibition mechanism. Single-mineral and synthetic mixed-ore flotation experiments demonstrate ATMP's selective inhibition toward bastnaesite, achieving >70% fluorite recovery with <12% bastnaesite recovery at optimal dosage (40 g/t). Mechanistic studies reveal that ATMP preferentially chemisorbs at Ce3+ active sites on bastnaesite surfaces through dual mechanisms: Firstly, nitrilotri undergoes chemisorption with Ce active sites on the bastnaesite surface, forming Ce-PO(OH)(2) complexes that exhibit strong adsorption on the mineral surface. Secondly, the three phosphonate groups of nitrilotri are arranged in a triangular configuration with an interatomic distance of 0.7512 nm, which spatially aligns with the Ce sites (0.7186 nm interatomic spacing) on bastnaesite. Each nitrilotri molecule chemisorbs with three Ce sites, yielding an adsorption energy of -294.624 kJ/mol, being indicative of a thermodynamically favorable interaction. This site-specific adsorption generates a hydrophilic Ce-phosphonate interface that destabilizes collector (NaOL) adsorption, reducing bastnaesite surface hydrophobicity by 42.78% (contact angle decreases from 65.23 degrees to 22.45 degrees). Conversely, nitrilotri exhibits limited interaction with fluorite due to geometric mismatch at Ca2+ sites, allowing NaOL-dominated hydrophobization to persist. The fundamental understanding of ligand-receptor complementarity presented here provides a promising strategy for rare earth/fluorite separation in industrial beneficiation circuits. (c) 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Society of Rare Earths.

The adsorption of metal ions on the mineral-liquid interface can significantly affect the minerals surface properties and flotation behavior. Despite the establishment of various surface complexation models, the lack of comprehensive understanding regarding silicate mineral surface reactivity and their metal ions adsorption affinity constants has hindered accurate prediction of metal ions adsorption by silicate minerals. Herein, the diffuse layer model (DLM) was developed to describe the Mg adsorption on K-feldspar and muscovite interfaces. The model effectively revealed the surface charge characteristics and adsorption distribution of Mg species on both minerals. Mg2+ ions were bound to permanently negatively charged sites on the muscovite basal surface by ions exchange. With increasing concentration of Mg, the muscovite edge surface sites became the primary sites for the adsorption of MgOH+. The model successfully predicted the surface charge and Mg sites distribution properties of two minerals. Combined with XPS, SEM-EDS, and DFT analyses, the results further revealed the mechanism of Mg adsorption on the mineral surfaces and its dominant components, and provided feedback for model fitting. The model approach based on species parameters developed in this study demonstrates significant practical utility and application potential, particularly in the field of mineral flotation separation. This study provides new insights into the adsorption mechanism of metal ions on mineral interfaces by linking macroscopic adsorption behavior with molecular-scale surface speciation.