Beneficiation of West Sibaiya phosphate ores by flotation in alkaline media

Four big head phosphate samples (about 200 kg) were collected from West Sib aiya mines [medium grade (sample 1, southern mine), high grade (sample 2, t he mine in the cultivated area), low grade (sample 3, oversize), and tailin gs (sample 4) phosphate ores]. The representative samples were analyzed che mically for P2O5, Fe2O3,Al2O3, InR, CaO, MgO, TiO, MnO, SO42-, F-, Cl- loss on ignition (LOI), and U before and after screen analysis (-10.0 +9.50, -9 .50 +6.70, -6.70 +2.0, -2.0 +1.0, -1.0 +0.85, 0.85 +0.710, -0.710 +0.500, - 0.500 +0.350, -0.350 +0.250, -0.250 +0.180, -0.180 +0.125, -0.125 +0.075,an d -0.075-mm-size fractions). The different grades of phosphate ores (organo genic-granular phosphorite ores with carbonates, calcite, calcedony, etc.) were beneficiated using local crude rice bran oil and imported oleic acid ( individuals) as collectors, NaOH or KOH as the pH adjustor, and Na2SiO3 as the silica depressant. The results indicate that -0.355, +0.180 mm grain si ze, pH = 9.6, 20 minutes conditioning time, 0.7 kg Na2SiO3 (depressant)dose /ton feed ore, 4.25 kg rice bran oil dose/ton feed of phosphate ore or 3.4 kg oleic acid (collector) dose/ton feed of phosphate ore, and cleaning (ref lotation) of phosphate concentrates are the optimum conditions for benefici ation of Sibaiya phosphate ores. On cleaning (reflotation) the phosphate or e feeds of samples 1 (medium, P2O5 = 28.67 pet), 2 thigh, P2O5 = 31.70 pet) , 3 (oversize, P2O5 = 25.30 pet), and 4 (tailings, P2O5 = 22.61 pct)using r ice bran oil as a collector, the feeds beneficiate into concentrates of P2O 5 pet equal to 31.87, 34.70, 26.16, and 31.90 pet (recoveries equal 49.41, 61.41, 52.01, and 29.03 pet P2O5) for samples 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. On using oleic acid as a collector, P2O5 pet in phosphate feeds of samples 1, 2, 3, and 4 increases (upgrades) into 31.28, 33.95, 26.82, and 30.70 pe t in concentrates (recoveries equal 61.74, 53.60, 53.31, and 36.30 P2O5). C omparing the results obtained on using rice bran oil and oleic acid as coll ectors from the economic point of view, the costs of producing 1 ton phosph ate concentrate by rice bran oil are lower (similar to LE 70) than those on using oleic acid (similar to LE 100) as a flotation collector.