HomeAbstract of 2nd-researchThe challenging passage through micro-flotation to mechanical flotation cell: Case of low-grade Moroccan phosphates

The challenging passage through micro-flotation to mechanical flotation cell: Case of low-grade Moroccan phosphates

  • Sep 24, 2020
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  • Category: Abstract of 2nd-research
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Proceedings of ‏The 2nd International Conference on Research in Engineering and Technology

Year: 2020

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/2nd.research.2020.09.233

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The challenging passage through micro-flotation to mechanical flotation cell: Case of low-grade Moroccan phosphates

Imane Aarab, Mohammed Derqaoui, Abdelmoughit Abidi, Abdelrani Yaacoubi, Khalid El Amari, Abderahman Etahiri, Abdelaziz Baçaoui

 

ABSTRACT: 

Given the burgeoning populations, phosphorus is becoming more and more in demand. As a result and in the context of a project to upgrade low-grade Moroccan phosphates, the interest was brought to the selective separation of apatite from gangue minerals, mainly carbonates and quartz by direct flotation [1-4]. A micro-flotation study was conducted to investigate the behavior of pure fluorapatite, calcite, and quartz crystals toward the flotation reagents. Sodium oleate/carboxymethylcellulose, sodium oleate/sodium alginate, ATRAC/sodium alginate, and ATRAC/carboxymethylcellulose were the most potent combinations for a direct flotation of fluorapatite [5]. The application of these findings at the mechanical flotation cell scale failed to obtain the same tendency on a Moroccan phosphate ore containing these three minerals as main phases. A study was so extended to other factors as the effect of attrition, solid content, and desliming, as well as an asymmetrical factorial design, was used with, as parameters: the type of the collector and depressant, their dosage and conditioning time, flotation time, pH and desliming. Partial matrix results related to sodium alginate/sodium oleate combination presented in this work confirmed the non-possibility of direct flotation under these conditions, but a reverse flotation is possible.Conclusions will be drawn once the full factorial design results are completed, considering the possibility of direct and reverse flotation of low-grade phosphate ore.

Keywords: low-grade phosphate ore; direct flotation; batch flotation; DOE.