Beneficiation of Phosphate rock employing batch as well as Pilot Plant Tests

Abstract

A phosphate rock containing apatite with magnetite, limonite, quartz asbestos, chlorite and biotite as the principal gangue minerals and assaying 27-20 percent P2O5 was received from the Tat Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., for the production of a phosphate concentrate for tests in connection with their Duplex slag, etc. Batch tests: Magnetic separation of the sample at -20 mesh produced a nonmagnetic concentrate assaying 34.77 percent P2O5 with a recovery of 90.3 percent. Straight flotation of the ore produced a concentrate assaying 37.83 percent P2O3 with a recovery of 72.1 percent. Tabling to remove magnetic (in the absence of adequate magnetic separation capacity) followed by flotation of the table tailing with one cleaning yielded a refloat concentrate and a combined concentrate assaying 39.84 percent and 38.1 percent P2O5 with recoveries of 70.2 percent and 85.2 percent respectively. Pilot plant test flotation test with ore from which magnetic had been removed by tabling, flotation of the table tailing and cleaning of the rougher concentrates produced a final concentrate assaying 37.7 percent P2O3 with a recovery of 70.0 percent. This might improve to about 85 percent by using oleic acid in the form of a water soluble emulsion.