Looking for an Ideal Particle Size for Apatite Flotation

Abstract:

Today, the phosphate rock processed in the world represents around some 20 billion dollars per year. Some exploitable deposits are characterizing by low grade phosphate rocks, composed of the apatite group in association with a wide assortment of accessory minerals. Usually a combination of beneficiation techniques is used to process a phosphate rock since run of mine, and then a flotation is applied to recovery apatite. This work proposes an evaluation of particle size for apatite recovery by column flotation in bench-scale. The variables collector dosage and depressant dosage were investigated experimentally applying a factorial design. According to the experimental results, the particle size range between 37&m and 105&m is an optimum size used to obtain simultaneously a product with the industry demand grade (at least 33%) and phosphorus recovery, upper than 60%.