What is the main impact of air on flotation?

Air has an effect on the floatability of minerals:

1) When the mineral is broken to reveal a fresh surface, it will be hydrated when it is in water, and it will be hydrophilic. However, when the gas is adsorbed to the surface of the mineral, the hydration is weakened, resulting in a preliminary hydrophobicity of the new surface.

2) The action of gas and mineral surfaces is selective. Among them, oxygen is a major influence on the mineral surface.

3) The role of oxygen is beneficial to the initial hydrophobicity of the sulfide ore. However, if the action time is too long, the mineral surface will return to hydrophilicity. But when the gas adsorbing appropriate conditions, cause the hydrophobic mineral surface, even without flotation can be (e.g. dried coal powder) where the flotation agent. And galena also only after preliminary action of oxygen can occur with xanthate and floating effect.

However, it should be noted that the main role of air in the flotation project is to cause a large number of fine bubbles to carry the floating mineral particles.