Signature Series - Associate Professor Belinda McFadzean, Centre for Minerals Research, University of Capetown (South Africa)

Signature Lecture: Thermochemical Insights into Flotation Surface Processes (Wednesday 1 April 2026)

Presenter: Associate Professor Belinda McFadzean, Centre for Minerals Research, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Watch it here:

Abstract:
Thermodynamics remains an underutilised tool for describing dynamic interfacial processes in flotation. This presentation explores the role of interfacial thermochemistry in governing collector adsorption and the subsequent development of particle hydrophobicity. Using insights from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), we examine how heat flow signatures can be used to describe and quantify not only reagent adsorption energetics, but also accompanying interfacial processes such as surface reorganisation and hydrophobic layer development.

Differences in collector structure, including chain branching and reactive head group chemistry, are shown to influence adsorption kinetics, molecular packing, and ultimately flotation response. These findings provide a broader interpretation of enthalpy measurements, drawing on advances in the understanding of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs).

By linking thermodynamic signatures to interfacial reagent restructuring, this work aims to provide a more rigorous basis for reagent design and process optimisation, particularly for complex mineral systems.

Presenter biography

Belinda McFadzean is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Minerals Research, which is a multidisciplinary research, teaching and consulting Centre at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Her research focusses on the flotation process and ranges from fundamental molecular surface interactions to plant-scale optimisation techniques. She manages large research projects, supervises and teaches postgraduate students, and is a consultant to the mineral processing industry.

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The ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals) regularly invites eminent scientists and industrialists from around the globe to present on a topic that relates to modern mineral processing in a friendly forum: our ​‘Signature Lecture’ Series. We make this guest lecture available to our wider community.