An Approach to Beneficiation of Apatite Ore of Purulia

Abstract

West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation operates the apatite mine in Purulia District of West Bengal. The produce three grades of samples, i.e. (i) High grade above 30% P2O5 (ii) Average grade of about 20% P2O5 and (iii)Low grade of 12% P2O5. The average is directly marketed as fertiliser for application in tea garden etc. The medium or average grade sample is mined from areas around the main ore body and contains substantial amount of ferruginous material besides other gangue minerals. The low grade ore is dumped separately and occasionally blended with high grade of ore to prepare the average grade for direct marketing. Thus every bit of apatite from the mines is used except for the top soil. But with reduc-ed demand, the manufacturer is faced with a selling problem and reduced production. Value addition by way of making high grade product is one option to pursue with. The typical problem is of iron removal as presence of high iron hinders value addition in terms of phosphate during down stream operation. Studies on the average grade sample indicated that using suitable processing steps the phos-phate content could be increased to +38% P205 with very low content of iron & silica. The present paper deals approach adopted in beneficiating the average grade apatite ore of Purulia. Key Words: apatite, Purulia, iron, magnetic separation, flotation.