The flotation behaviors of perovskite, titanaugite, and magnesium aluminate spinel (MA-spinel), using octyl hydroxamic acid (OHA) as the collector, were investigated using microflotation experiments, zeta-potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, and flotation experiments on artificially mixed minerals. The microflotation experiments show that the floatability of perovskite is clearly better than titanaugite and MA-spinel at around pH 5.5, while titanaugite possesses certain floatability at pH 6.0–6.5, and MA-spinel displays good floatability at pH > 8.0. The results of the FT-IR and XPS analyses show that OHA mainly interacts with Ti, resulting in perovskite flotation, and that the Al on titanaugite, as well as the Mg and Al on the MA-spinel surface, chemically react with OHA under acidic conditions. However, OHA mainly reacts with the Ti and Ca on the perovskite surface, Ca and Mg on the titanaugite surface, and Mg and Al on the MA-spinel surface under alkaline conditions. The results of the artificially mixed mineral flotation experiment show that the concentrate of TiO₂ grade increased from 19.73% to 30.18% at pH 5.4, which indicates that a weakly acidic solution is the appropriate condition for the flotation separation of perovskite from titanaugite and MA-spinel. The results of the modified slag flotation experiments show that the TiO₂ grade of concentrate increased from 18.13% to 23.88% at pH 5.4, through the open circuit test of “one roughing and one cleaning”. OHA displays selectivity toward perovskite in the modified slag flotation, but the consumption of H₂SO₄ is very high. The CaSO₄ precipitate covered on the mineral surfaces results in poor TiO₂ grade and recovery.

Recent years have witnessed growing research interest in applying rheology in grinding and flotation treatment of finely disseminated ores. Slurry rheology has long been identified as the comprehensive effect of inter-particle interactions, including their aggregation and dispersion states in slurry, which are more impactive under the fine-particle effect. In this regard, rheology has the potential to play a significant role in interpreting the flowing and deforming phenomena of inter-particle aggregates, particle-bubble aggregates, and flotation froth. Though much attention has been paid to the rheological effect in industrial suspension, this has not been the case for mineral grinding and flotation for fine particles. The influential mechanism of rheology on the sub-processes of mineral processing has not been systemically determined nor revealed thoroughly, thus the underpinning mechanism for enhancing the processing efficiency has been difficult to discover. This paper reviews the current application and importance of rheology in fine mineral processing, and the potential research direction in the field is proposed.