Utilisation of Mineral Slimes and Industrial Waste by Electro Flotation and Selective Flocculation.

Bhaskar Raju, G and Prabhakar, S and Hanumantha Rao, K and Sankaran, C and Forsling, Willis (1991) Utilisation of Mineral Slimes and Industrial Waste by Electro Flotation and Selective Flocculation. In: Mineral Development and Environment, 28-30 November 1991, Dhanbad, India.

[img]
Preview
PDF
7Mb

Abstract

Electroflotation and selective flocculation or the combination of both appear to be potential techniques for the beneficiation of low grade mineral slimes and fines generated during mining, milling and other metallurgical operations. Considering the hydrodynamics of flotation process, electroflotation was proved to be an effective and viable technique to separate organic suspending particulate matter generated from leather, textile, metallurgical, oil refinery and food processing plants. Electroflotation is advantageous to process sulphide minerals and minerals that undergo surface changes when exposed to electrolytic oxygen and hydrogen. Adsorption of oxygen, liberated from the anode leads to the formation of elemental sulphur on the surface of the particles. Elemental sulphur thus formed under controlled oxidation enhances the hydrophobicity. Continuous liberation of H+ and OH- leads to drastic changes in the pH of the pulp. Hence, electroflotation technique is more disadvantageous where pH is a critical parameter. Also part of the collector will be either destroyed or dissociated under the influence of pH, electrolytic bubbles and oxidation-reduction environment changes. Selective flocculation of minerals using polymers followed by anyone of the separation techniques such as, flotation, elutriation, filtration, etc. offers considerable promise for processing non-precious oxide minerals. Natural and synthetic high molecular weight polymers have been successfully used as flocculants. Lack of desired specificity is the major set back in this process. However, specificity can be introduced by incorporating active groups in the polymers. Though there is enough literature on selective flocculation of synthetic mineral mixtures, reports on the flocculation of multi-component natural ores are scant. Further, it is generally observed that the prediction of selective flocculation on the basis of results obtained from single mineral tests fairly agrees with synthetic mineral mixtures but rarely on natural systems.

Item Type:Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Official URL/DOI:http://eprints@nmlindia.org/4056
Uncontrolled Keywords:electroflotation, flocculation, fine particles, separation, beneficiation
Divisions:NML Chennai > Mineral Processing
ID Code:4056
Deposited By:Dr. G Bhaskar Raju
Deposited On:28 Sep 2011 10:22
Last Modified:01 Dec 2011 14:53
Related URLs:

Repository Staff Only: item control page