When specifying the characteristics of paraffin soap, the following aspects should be considered when selecting raw materials.
(1) Carbon chain length distribution of straight-chain alkanes
Generally, as a collector agent, the longer the carbon chain of the fatty acid, the stronger the collection ability, and vice versa. However, excessively long carbon chains can reduce water solubility, easily form micelles, and lose activity. Extensive practical experience indicates that an appropriate carbon chain length of 16 to 18 carbon atoms is suitable for beneficiation. But considering the unevenness during grinding (in actual production, the working results of ball mills cannot grind all minerals into particles of the same size and viscosity), the carbon chain distribution of paraffin wax soap molecules should be wider. Therefore, when selecting raw materials, a mixture of soap wax at 40°C with wax oil not only meets the beneficiation requirements but also reduces raw material costs.
(2) Oil Content Regulation
For paraffin wax, the concept of oil content generally refers to components other than n-alkanes. In oil refineries, the production of paraffin wax typically involves methods such as sweating, pressing, and solvent extraction. However, regardless of the method used, some non-paraffin components inevitably remain. The impact of these substances on the oxidation reaction of paraffin increases with their content. For synthetic fatty acids, lower oil content in raw materials results in shorter oxidation times and higher yields of finished acid. In the case of oxidized paraffin soap, although the oxidation process may be affected, considering the product's application characteristics, these so-called "oils" will also generate some oxygen-containing functional groups during the oxidation reaction. During the beneficiation process, these oxygen-containing compounds play a positive role in increasing beneficiation speed and enhancing the synergistic effect of reagents. Therefore, in the production of oxidized paraffin soap, the "oil content" of the raw materials should be controlled within a reasonable range, typically 10% to 20% according to practice.