Abstract: The flotation mechanism of fine wolframite using sodium oleate as the collector was systematically studied through flotation experiments， solution chemistry calculations， adsorption tests， zeta potential measurements and infrared spectroscopic analysis. The flotation results showed that the adsorption of sodium oleate is responsible for the floatability of wolframite， and fine wolframite performs a better floatability at pH 7.0~9.0. In this pH range， the ions and ion-molecular associations of sodium oleate are dominated species， which play a critical role in the flotation of wolframite. Solution chemistry calculations suggest that the adsorption amount of sodium oleate and the floatability of wolframite have a direct relationship with the species concentration of metal oleate precipitates. In the presence of sodium oleate， the zeta potential of wolframite particles shifts negatively. Infrared spectroscopic analysis indicated that sodium oleate chemisorbs onto the wolframite surface， producing metal oleate precipitates， and thus it is contributed to the floatability of fine wolframite.

Key words: wolframite, sodium oleate, chemisorption, solution chemistry, flotation