Engineering Conferences InternationalECI Digital Archives

Beneficiation of Phosphates VII Proceedings

Spring 2015

An Alternative Flotation Process for ApatiteConcentration of the Itataia CarbonaceousUranium-Phosphate OreElves MatioloCentro de Tecnologia Mineral (CETEM)

Ligia GonzagaCentro de Tecnologia Mineral (CETEM)

Ana Luiza GuedesCentro de Tecnologia Mineral (CETEM)

Follow this and additional works at: http://dc.engconfintl.org/phosphates_vii

Part of the Materials Science and Engineering Commons

This Conference Proceeding is brought to you for free and open access by the Proceedings at ECI Digital Archives. It has been accepted for inclusion inBeneficiation of Phosphates VII by an authorized administrator of ECI Digital Archives. For more information, please contact franco@bepress.com.

Recommended CitationElves Matiolo, Ligia Gonzaga, and Ana Luiza Guedes, "An Alternative Flotation Process for Apatite Concentration of the ItataiaCarbonaceous Uranium-Phosphate Ore" in "Beneficiation of Phosphates VII", P. Zhang, FIPR; J. Miller, Univ. of Utah; L. Leal, Univ. ofSao Paolo; A. Kossir, OCP Group; E. Wingate, Worley-Parsons Services Pty Ltd. Eds, ECI Symposium Series, (2015).http://dc.engconfintl.org/phosphates_vii/9

AN ALTERNATIVE FLOTATION PROCESS

FOR APATITE CONCENTRATION OF THE ITATAIA CARBONACEOUS

URANIUM-PHOSPHATE

Itacoatiara, Niterói, RJ

URANIUM-PHOSPHATE ORE

Melbourne, March 2015

Elves Matiolo, DSc

Lígia Gonzaga, MSc

Ana Luiza Guedes, IC

Agribusiness in Brazil

• Grain production (2013) = 188 million ton

• Planted area (2013) = 53 million hectares

• (2013) 23% Gross domestic product = US$ 454 billion

ProductProduction (million ton)

Market share (%) Position

Projections for international trade (2022)

Sources: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento – USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) - CNA

Product Market share (%) PositionBrazil World

Corn 18,6 138,7 13,4 4º

Soybean (grain) 63,8 144,3 44,2 1º

Soybean (oil) 2,4 10,8 22,2 2º

Soybean (bran) 16,9 73,9 22,9 2º

Cattle 1,9 8,1 23,3 2º

Pork 0,8 6,3 12,4 4º

Chicken 4,8 9 52,9 1º

Brazilian fertiliser industry supply

70%

80%

90%

100%

51

75

Import

Production Fertiliser demand in

Brazil will grow twice as

fast as overall global

demand

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Potash Phosphate Nitrogen

90

75 Brazil = 5.3% y.y

2000-2012

Brazil = 5.3% y.y

2000-2012

Salitre – Vale

Araxá – Vale Santa Quitéria –INB and Galvani

Tapira –– Vale

Catalão Catalão –– Vale Vale and Copebrásand Copebrás

Cajati – Vale

IntroduçãoTypical flowsheet

Rod and ball millsP80 – 150 µm

Slimes (discharge)90% < 10 µm

Magnetite (discharge)

Crushing

Low intensity magnetic separator

ConditioningFines/ultrafines

D50 – 25 µm Column flotation

ConditioningCoarse particles

D50 – 105 µm

Mechanical cells

IntroduçãoSanta Quitéria Project

BULK

Phosphate-uranium ore (Itataia - CE)

80´s years

H3PO4

2 kg/t

pH – 5,6

Calcite

CDTNOre

Apatite – 36%

(15% P2O5)

Calcite – 24%

Silicates – 20% BULK Concentrate(apatite and

calcite)

Air

Silicates Apatiteconcentrate

Silicates – 20%

Reagents

Tall oil

Corn starch

Sodium silicate

pH – 10 (NaOH)

32 – 34,5% P2O5

3 - 6% calcite

CLDRI ProcessChinese Lianyungang Design and Research Institute

Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute (FIPR)

University of Florida

1994 year

< 150 µm

Fatty acid soap

H3PO4 and H2SO4

Dolomite

Silicates orapatite flotation

Ar

Bulk concentrate

Apatite and

Siliceous carbonate phosphate ore from Catalão (Goiás)

Rougher flotation

Air

Flotation

Apatite andcarbonates

Air

Apatiteconcentrate

Froth

Conditioning

- 50% solids

- Collector (sulphosuccinate) Lupromin FPA 711

- Corn starch (depressant)

- pH – 9,5 - NaOH

H2SO4

Calcite/dolomite

Two stage conditioning process

Carbon dioxide applyed in flotation

Bulk concentrate

Apatite andcarbonates

Carbonic gas applyed in flotation of phosphates ores (Brazil)

Apatiteconcentrate

Feed

Air/CO2Silicates/iron

hidroxides

Calcite/dolomite

CO2

Catalão´s Mine

CleanerFlotation columns

CO2

injection

Cavitationtube

P80 = 150µm

Slimes

Carbonates

ROM

Coconut soap

Barreiros´s Mine - Araxá

Apatiteflotation

Coconut soap

Dilution

CO2

Apatiteconcentrate

Apatite flotation

sulphosuccinate

Corn starch

NaOH

Dilution

Tailing

Cleaner

Tailing Rougher

Fatty acidsoap

substitution

Experimental

Ore sample – 1 ton

CaO/P2O5

Grade (%)

P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 MgO Al2O3 TiO2

2,8 16,7 47,6 2,5 8,7 0,6 2,9 0,2

5,95,2

Chemical and mineralogical characterization

38,2

50,7

Calcite Apatite Quartz Others

< 3.36 mm

Fines Fraction

Slimes

Calcite andApatite Flotation

Flowsheet

Discharge

Fraction

CoarseFraction

Apatite Flotation

Calcite andApatite

Flotation

60

70

80

90

100

Passin

g (%

)

D50= 5µm D50= 100µmD50= 28µm

D96= 150µm

Particle size distribution

0

10

20

30

40

50

1 10 100 1000

Passin

g (%

)

Particle size (µm)

Slimes

Fines

Milling Product

Coarse

D50= 5µm D50= 100µmD50= 28µm

Mass BalancePreparation

Flux

Recovery (%) Grade (%)

Mass P2O5 P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 Al2O3

Slimes 18,2 16,4 14,7 42,1 3,2 10,5 4,0Slimes 18,2 16,4 14,7 42,1 3,2 10,5 4,0

Fines 35,4 34,7 16,0 48,6 2,2 8,0 2,8

Coarse 46,4 48,9 17,2 53,0 2,2 6,1 1,3

Calcite flotation- Coconut soap (calcite collector)

- CO2 – bubble generator

- pH – 5.8

Apatite flotation

- Sulphosuccinate (apatite collector)

- Corn starch (depressant)

- pH – 11 (NaOH)

Conditioning = 50%w/w (coarse) – 40%w/w (fines)

Flotation = 25%w/w

Results

Calcite flotation – Coarse fraction

Effect of the collector dosage – Calcite concentrate

Mass recovery; P2O5 recovery and P2O5 grade

27,2

30,6

34,8

25

30

35

40

20,8

0,4 0,7 1,4

4,3

0,4 0,50,9

2,6

0

5

10

15

20

200 300 400 500

(%)

Coconut soap (g/t)

Mass recovery

P2O5 Recovery

P2O5 (%)

Calcite flotation – Coarse fraction

Effect of the collector dosage – Float

Mineralogical composition

75

100

93,190,8

89,9

86,3

Min

era

l (%

)

Quartz

Apatite

Calcite

0

25

50

75

200300

400

500

1,41,1

1,2

1,1

2,03,2

4,4 9,6

Min

era

l (%

)

Coconut soap (g/t)

80

100

65,072,7 73,4 77,4

Calcite flotation – Coarse fraction

Effect of the collector dosage – Sink

Mineralogical composition

Quartz

Calcite

Apatite

0

20

40

60

200300

400500

6,9 7,3

7,57,2

16,8

10,2

7,2

4,9

Min

era

l (%

)

Coconut soap (g/t)

Apatite flotation – Coarse fraction

Effect of the collector dosage (sulphosuccinate)

60

80

100

61,766,3

71,7 75,2

(%)

CaO/P2O5

Grade (%)

P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 Al2O3

1,55 30,0 46,4 2,5 10,3 1,8Feed

500

7000

20

40

60 66,3

32,4

5,3

31,5

6,1

g/t

(%)

MassP2O5

Recovery P2O5 (%)

SiO2 (%)

Mass

Collector

g/t

Grade (%)

P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 Al2O3

500 26,6 38,9 3,3 18,3 3,6

700 26,4 36,4 3,4 20,9 4,1

Tailings

Apatite flotation – Coarse fraction

Scavenger

Grade (%)

P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 Al2O3

26,6 37,0 3,4 19,4 4,3Feed

R P2O5

Grade (%)

P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 Al2O3

65,5 32,9 42,8 2,3 11,3 6,3Concentrate

Corn Starch = 300 g/tSulphossucinate = 500 g/tpH = 11,0

65,5 32,9 42,8 2,3 11,3 6,3

Mass recovery = 28,6%

P2O5 recovery = 42% - 85% flotation

P2O5 grade = 32%

SiO2 grade = 7,1%

Balance coarse fraction

Calcite flotation (fines fraction)

80

100

64,1

98,5

500 g/t collector

2 L/min CO2

Float

Sink 0

20

40

60

35,9

54,7

1,50,9

0,5

42,9

28,8

10,9

(%)

MassCaO

P2O5

recovery P2O5 (%)SiO2 (%)

Apatite flotation (fines fraction)

Flux

Recovery (%) Grade (%)

Mass P2O5 P2O5 CaO Fe2O3 SiO2 Al2O3

Corn starch = 700 g/t

Sulphosuccinate = 700 g/t

pH = 11

Feed 100 100 28,5 44,6 2,7 11,2 3,5

Concentrate 66,2 76,9 33,2 53,4 1,9 3,7 1,1

Tailings 33,8 23,1 19,5 27,5 4,2 25,8 8,1

Mass recovery = 15%

P2O5 recovery = 26,31% - 75,7% flotation

Balance fines fraction

Calcite concentrate Apatite concentrate

Global balance

Mass recovery = 43,6%

P2O5 recovery = 68%

P2O5 (%) = 32,4%

SiO2 (%) = 6,0%

Final remarks

The use of carbon dioxide in combination with coconut soap showed

high selectivity on separation between apatite and calcite in the

Itataia´s phosphate ore;

This carbonate flotation process concept based on use carbon dioxide

and coconut soap as carbonates collector was applied in others two

differents carbonaceous phosphate ores from Brazil (Araxá and

Catalão) with very good results;

Quartz flotation must be avaliated in replacement of apatite flotation

in the sink fraction of calcite flotation.

This work is dedicated to the Mining Engineer

Lauro Akira Takata

Acknowledgments

Dr. Reiner Neumann - CETEM

To all institutions that support research in Brazil

CETEM - CENTRO DE TECNOLOGIA MINERAL

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

www.cetem.gov.br