To some extent, most minerals dissolve in the aqueous solution,
the extent of which is dependent, among other factors, upon the
type and concentration of the relevant chemical species in the solution.
The dissolved mineral species can undergo further reactions
such as hydrolysis, complexation, adsorption, and even surface or
bulk precipitation. The nature of the complex equilibrium involving
all such reactions will determine the interfacial properties of the particles
and, thus, their flotation behavior. In the case of semi-soluble
minerals, the effect of dissolved species on interfacial properties can
be quite pronounced (Somasundaran and Dianzuo, 2006).