Vaahdotusaineen
Vaahdotusaineen, also known as frother, is a chemical substance used in froth flotation processes. Froth flotation is a separation technique used to separate hydrophobic materials from hydrophilic materials. In this process, finely ground ore is mixed with water to form a slurry. A frother is then added to the slurry, which stabilizes the air bubbles that are introduced into the mixture. The hydrophobic particles attach themselves to the air bubbles and rise to the surface, forming a froth that can be skimmed off. The hydrophilic particles, which do not attach to the bubbles, remain in the slurry and are discharged.
Frothers are typically surface-active agents, meaning they have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts. This allows them