Bioinspired Flavylium Surfactants for Hydrophobic Agglomeration of Fine Kaolinite Particles

Abstract

With increasing environmental concerns and the drawbacks associated with the synthetic materials currently used in industry, there is a growing demand for more eco-friendly and efficient alternatives in mineral processing applications. To help address this, three bioinspired surfactants (M8Flav, M12Flav, and D8Flav) were synthesized by modifying the core structure of flavylium, a plant-based pigment, by installing secondary and tertiary alkyl amines. Hydrophobic agglomeration of fine kaolinite (D4,3: 10 μm) particles facilitated through the application of these bioinspired surfactants was examined. Spectroscopic, microscopic, and XRD (X-ray diffraction) analyses were performed to interrogate..