Fluorite Flotation 01：Sulfide-Fluorite Ore Flotation

July 30, 2024
2:49 pm

1. Sulfide-fluorite Flotation Process

The associated metallic minerals in sulfide-type fluorite ores often include chalcopyrite, pyrite, galena, and sphalerite. Flotation processes typically aim for the comprehensive recovery of these minerals. Due to the significant differences in surface properties between sulfides and fluorite, collectors like xanthates and dithiophosphates are commonly used to preferentially float sulfides, followed by fatty acids to float fluorite from the tailings. Moreover, if the sulfide content in the raw ore is low and has limited recovery value, sodium sulfide is often used to depress sulfides, and fatty acids are directly employed to float fluorite.

2. Sulfide-fluorite Flotation Case

For a copper-lead-zinc polymetallic fluorite ore in Pingjiang, Hunan Province with high recovery value, a flotation process involving “copper-lead bulk flotation, copper-lead separation, zinc flotation, and fluorite flotation” was adopted. Na₂CO₃ and ZnSO₄ were used as sphalerite depressants, waterglass and starch as galena depressants, waterglass as a quartz depressant, Al₂(SO₄)₃ as a fluorite activator, and oleic acid as a fluorite collector. A fluorite concentrate with a CaF₂ grade of 97.25% and a recovery rate of 76.70% was obtained.

Sulfide-Fluorite Ore Flotation — Sulfide-Fluorite Ore

However, due to the low fluorite content and complex association with multiple sulfide minerals in polymetallic sulfide-fluorite ores, the recovery rate of fluorite concentrate is often relatively low, especially when ensuring high grades of valuable metal minerals.

The flotation process and reagent selection for fluorite ore require experimentation to determine. The flotation treatment line for fluorite ore also varies and needs to be designed based on the mineral properties.

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