US2959281A - Flotation of niobium-bearing minerals - Google Patents

Flotation of niobium-bearing minerals Download PDF

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US2959281A
US2959281A US784391A US78439158A US2959281A US 2959281 A US2959281 A US 2959281A US 784391 A US784391 A US 784391A US 78439158 A US78439158 A US 78439158A US 2959281 A US2959281 A US 2959281A
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flotation
niobium
concentrate
minerals
mica
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Faucher J A Roland
Dessureaux Silien
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Technical Managers Inc
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Priority to GB43484/59A priority patent/GB892393A/en
Priority to FR814488A priority patent/FR1247025A/fr
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D1/00—Flotation
    • B03D1/001—Flotation agents
    • B03D1/004—Organic compounds
    • B03D1/016—Macromolecular compounds
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D1/00—Flotation
    • B03D1/001—Flotation agents
    • B03D1/004—Organic compounds
    • B03D1/008—Organic compounds containing oxygen
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D1/00—Flotation
    • B03D1/001—Flotation agents
    • B03D1/004—Organic compounds
    • B03D1/01—Organic compounds containing nitrogen
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D1/00—Flotation
    • B03D1/001—Flotation agents
    • B03D1/004—Organic compounds
    • B03D1/012—Organic compounds containing sulfur
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D2201/00—Specified effects produced by the flotation agents
    • B03D2201/04—Frothers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D2201/00—Specified effects produced by the flotation agents
    • B03D2201/06—Depressants
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03D—FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION
    • B03D2203/00—Specified materials treated by the flotation agents; specified applications
    • B03D2203/02—Ores
    • B03D2203/04—Non-sulfide ores

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the beneficiation by froth flotation of the niobium-bearing minerals (niobates) from their ores. More particularly, it is concerned with the separation of niobium-bearing minerals, such as pyrochlore, perovskite, niocalite, betafite and the like, from the other constituents of their ores.
  • niobium also known as columbium
  • columbium was considered as a rather rare constituent of the earths crust. This has prevented a wide-spread use of the element which was rather costly.
  • the discovery of large deposits of pyrochlorebearing rocks in various parts of the world will lead the industry into a larger use of niobium since there is no more risk of a lack of production.
  • Niobium ores being much more abundant than anticipated will cause the price of the element to decrease and this also will promote further usage. There is no doubt that pyrochlore ore Will eventually become the major source of niobium.
  • Niobium in addition, stands a good chance of being used in atomic piles on account of its high corrosion and temperature resistance, coupled with good structural behaviour.
  • Natural deposits of niobium-bearing minerals are usually ores containing, in addition to the niobium-bearing minerals, such as pyrochlore, perovskite, niocalite, betafite and the like, a mixed gangue composed of carbonates, phosphates, mica, ironymincrals, silicates, etc.
  • a mixed gangue may be comprised, for instance, of calcite, apatite, biotite, magnetite and pyroxene, and also metallic sulphides such as prite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite and galena.
  • gangue may, of course, varyconsiderably depending on the origin of the ore. Ordinarily, this mixed gangue content must be'reduced to produce a concentrate meeting commercial standards, forexampleto be used as raw 2 material for the production of niobium metal or salts, and ferro-niobium.
  • the principal object of the present invention to provide a sequence of operations and a process by which a concentrate satisfactorily high in Nb O content can be obtained. It is also an object to provide a process whereby this is accomplished in an economical manner and with good recovery. It is a further object to provide suitable reagents for use in this process, which reagents are simple in use, readily obtainable and effective in operation.
  • the niobium bearing minerals can be floated with a good separation from the remaining gangue constituents by means of a cationic promoter of the amine type, and a selective activator for the niobium bearing minerals containing a source of free ions selected from the group consisting of fluoride and fiuosilicate ions, the froth flotation being carried out in an acidic circuit.
  • a cationic promoter is selected from mono-amine and di-amine acetates and heterocyclic organic amines.
  • the source of fluoride or fluosilicate ions acts as an activator and/or anti-depressant for neutralizing the effect of the depressants used in the,
  • separation of the niobium-bearing minerals from their gangue is accomplished either by conditioning the feed with a depressant for the niobium-bearing minerals, floating ofi? the bulk of the gangue in single or stage operations, recovering the magnetic-iron minerals and the micas if desired, and conditioning the remaining ore with the above noted novel reagent combination that promote an effective and selective flotation of the niobium minerals, more particularly the pyrochlore; or by conditioning the feed for floating off the niobium-bearing minerals along with the bulk of the oxides and silicates, rejecting as tailings the bulk of the carbonate content, recovering from this bulk concentrate the micas and magnetic minerals if desired, and submitting the residual concentrate to the spurvolved in the process for treating ore high in carbonate content, the bulk of this carbonate gangue being rejected as a tailing when floating off a bulk silicate-oxide concentrate, as a preliminary concentration step.
  • this comprises grinding and classification or other wise reducing the ore to a suitable size for froth flotation feed, normally to about minus 35 mesh and preferably minus 50 or minus 60 mesh. Any combination of crushing, grinding and classification steps may be used.
  • the procedure outlined in Figure 1 or 3 will be preferably followed. If the ore has less than about 10% by weight of carbonates and phosphates and has a high silicate content, the procedure outlined in Figure 2 is preferred.
  • the ground pulp is conditioned with niobium minerals depressants and a calcite-apatite promoter. This conditioning step is carried out at high solids although it may be done at flotation density if so desired.
  • the niobium mineral depressant may be either caustic starch or an alkali silicate. Such a depressant is necessary because some or part of the niobium minerals react the same as calcite and apatite to most anionic type promoters. It is necessary, therefore, that a depressant be found of one constituent or the other.
  • the caustic starch actually comprises a mixture of an alkali such as sodium hydroxide and starch. Preferably, it is fed as a solution containing about -10% dissolved solids.
  • the alkali-starch ratio may vary from as little as about 1:3 to as high as 3:1.
  • a suflicient amount should be used to produce depression of the niobium-minerals, the solution being added and conditioned with the pulp for sufficient time to ensure thorough dissemination.
  • the time of conditioning will depend on the characteristics of the particular ore being treated, usually about 5 minutes are suflicient.
  • an anionic promoter for calcite and apatite is added.
  • This promoter may be one of several types; a fatty acid such as oleic, stearic, palrnitic, fish-oil fatty acids, cocoanut oil fatty acid, and the like, or soaps thereof, as well as the various commercial mixtures thereof and naphthenic acids or their soaps.
  • a fatty acid such as oleic, stearic, palrnitic, fish-oil fatty acids, cocoanut oil fatty acid, and the like, or soaps thereof, as well as the various commercial mixtures thereof and naphthenic acids or their soaps.
  • Such naturally occurring mixtures of fatty and resin acids such as talloel or residue such as cotton-seed-foot oil or their soaps are also satisfactory, as well as sulphonated reagents such as sulphonated higher aliphatic alcohols, sulphonated fatty acids.
  • Sulphonated petroleum hydrocarbons may also
  • the amount of promoter required is about 1.5 to 3.0 lb./ton. Excessive amounts over that should necessarily be avoided as tending to overcome the effect of niobium minerals depressant and to increase the losses in the subsequent flotation.
  • the pulp is first reduced to flotation density of from 15-25% solids before being subjected to flotation, which is carried until the calcite and apatite removal is apparently complete.
  • condition and flotation procedures are usually advantageously repeated in sustained commercial operations taking off a second calcite-apatite concentrate or middling product, to assure the most economical complete removal of these minerals.
  • calcite-apatite concentrates are usually combined and subjected to a cleaner and recleaner flotation.
  • a small addition of niobium minerals depressant, about 1.0/lb./ton is usually beneficial in these cleaning operations.
  • the cleaner tails, which are enriched in Nb O are recycled to the original flotation feed, or to any other point in the circuit which might be found more advantageous, like the classification, the conditioning or the calcite-apatite flotation.
  • the tailing from this first step of concentration contains most of the Nb O contained in the original feed, mixed with some minerals like mica, magnetite, diopside, etc.
  • This tailing could be treated to recover the mica and the magnetite, which are saleable products or could be fed directly to the niobium mineral flotation.
  • the machine discharge or tailing from the calcite-apatite concentration is decanted or dewatered to remove the excess and the effect of the reagents used in the preceding flotation. It has been found unnecessary at this stage to use a scrubbing treatment to effect this reagents removal.
  • This dewatering can be effected in a large pool classifier or in a thickener.
  • the thickened pulp is then conditioned with a mica promoter which in thise case is any good cationic promoter of the primary mono amine acetate type such as coco amine, soya amine and the like or of the diamine acetate type such as coco diamine or tallow diamine and the like.
  • Amine 220 which is a trade name of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation for 1-hydroxyethyl-2-heptadecenyl glyoxalidine
  • Aeromine 2026 which is a trademark for an amine cationic flotation reagent of uncertain'composition made by the American Cyanamid Co., have been found to give excellent results. In general the amount required is relatively small, about 0.4 lb./ton of flotation feed.
  • the niobium mineral depressant is added.
  • Caustic starch added at the rate of 0.5 to about 1.5 lb./ton has given good results at this stage and was used preferably.
  • This mica flotation is a basic circuit in the presence of causticized starch, produces a selective separation of the pyrochlores from the mica, and is an important feature of this invention.
  • niobiumdepressant about 0.2 lb./ton of causticized starch
  • the tailing from this cleaner operation is either returned at the head of the mica flotation, like at the decantation feed, or at such other point in the circuit that might be found more advantageous.
  • the machine discharge or tailing from the mica flotation could be fed to the magnetite recovery circuit, if the recovery of this iron concentrate is desired.
  • the circuit consists of any appropriate drum type or belt type low or medium intensity wet magnetic concentrator.
  • the magnetite which is highly magnetic is attracted by the magnetic field, while the rest of the ore is unaflected, making the separation possible.
  • One or two cleanings of the magnetite concentrate in similar type magnetic separators is advisable to raise the grade of the magnetite concentrate to saleable grade and to liberate the non-magnetic ore particles mechanically trapped between the magnetite grains during the separation process.
  • These cleaner tails are again returned to the head of this circuit or by-passed directly with the magnetite tailings to the following operation stage.
  • the niobium-bearing minerals (the pyrochlore) can be directly floated oflf into a high grade concentrate.
  • the feed to the pyrochlore flotation could be either the calcite-apatite flotation tailings, bypassing the mica and the magnetite removals, or the tailings from the mica flotation, or the tailings from the magnetic separation.
  • the pyrochlore flotation can proceed with the addition of a specific mica depressant, like one of the arabic gums such as guar gum, guartex and the like, a glue, starch or any other appropriate mica depressant fed at the rate of about 0.5 lb./ton.
  • a specific mica depressant like one of the arabic gums such as guar gum, guartex and the like, a glue, starch or any other appropriate mica depressant fed at the rate of about 0.5 lb./ton.
  • the mica flotation is delayed this way but not enough to produce a one pass clean separation of the pyrochlore from the mica, and three or four successive pyrochlore concentrate cleanings are required to bring out the optimum pyrochlore concentrate grade.
  • the pyrochlore flotation procedure is not modified whether the magnetic separation is performed or not.
  • the tailing or reject from the previous concentration operation is decanted or dewatered to remove the eflect and the excess of the reagents already used in previous operations.
  • This thickened pulp is then conditioned for the niobium minerals flotation.
  • Heavy solid (50% solid) conditioning though preferable, is not absolutely required, and dilution of the pulp to flotation density, about 25% solid can be eflected before or after the conditioning.
  • the amount of promoter used will vary with the nature of the ore, the Water conditions, i.e. temperature, acidity, hardness, etc., of the water and the average particle size mineral and content of the feed being treated. In general an amount ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 lbs ./ton of ore treated is necessary. In some cases, a frother may be useful. Where a frother is desirable, any suitable type such as pine oil, cresylic acids and the commercial higher alcohol frothers may *be used.
  • This activator may also act as an antidepressant to neutralize the depressing effect of the reagents used inthe prior steps of the process de scribed: such as causticized starch, sodium silicates. or others.
  • This activator should be anefiectivesource of fluoride and/or fluosilicate ions. The particular source may be varied. The necessary ions may be provided, for example, per se or as a soluble salt thereof.- Where the circuit itself is not normally acidic (pH lower than 7) it should be made so.
  • the demand may be quite flexible. In general it will vary between 2 to 6 lbs/ton of feed.
  • the diluted conditioned pulp is then sent to the rougher flotation circuit as is shown in Figure I.
  • An excellent separation of the pyrochlores from the rest of the ore is obtained.
  • This rougher concentrate may be sent to a cleaner flotation, to further upgrade its Nb O assay.
  • the tailing from the cleaner circuit can be recycled to the feed of the rougher flotation, or at any particular point found most advantageous.
  • the ore contains a substantial proportion of metallic sulfides, particularly pyrite, it is possible in accordance with the present invention to collect a pyrite concentrate without affecting the subsequent pyrochlore flotation.
  • the feed for the pyrite flotation may be either the calciteapatite flotation tailings, or the tailings from the magnetic separation.
  • the tailings are conditioned for about 5 minuteswith a Xanthate, in a basic, neutral or acidified circuit.
  • the pyrite is floated and the tailing constitutes the feed for the pyrochlore flotation described hereinabove.
  • the calcite-apatite flotation may be by-passed as shown in Figure 2.
  • the prepared feed can be fed directly to the mica flotation and thence to the magnetic separation and the resultant tailings subjected to the pyrochlore flotation.
  • the preliminary concentration step consists in floating oif the bulk of the silicate and oxide content of the ore, along with the niobium-bearing minerals, and discarding most of the carbonate and phosphate content as flotation tailings.
  • This bulk silicate-oxide concentrate is similar in composition to the product previously referred to as The tailing from the first step of concentration, containing most of the Nb O contained in the original feed, mixed with some minerals like mica, magnetite, diopside, etc, and is processed to obtain the final niobium concentrate, the same way as'described in discussing the process illustrated in Figure 1, for mica, magnetite and sulfides, optional removal, and niobium minerals flotation.
  • the ground pulp is conditioned for about 2 minutes with a cationic collector or promoter of the same family referred to in the mica and niobium-mineral flotations. This conditioning is usually performed at high solids (i50% solids) although it may be done at flotation density if so desired.
  • the amount of collector required is about 1 to 3 pounds per ton of feed.
  • the pulp is first reduced to flotation density of from 15-25% solids before being subjected to flotation, which is carried until the silicates and oxide removal is apparently complete.
  • Staged addition of reagents to the flotation circuit is often useful; conditioning and flotation procedures can be advantageously repeated in sustained commercial operations taking off a second silicate-oxide concentrate, to assure the most economical complete removal of these minerals, particularly the pyrochlores.
  • the residue from this flotation is the calcite-apatite concentrate, while the concentrate contains most of the niobium minerals and is further processed for niobium recovery the same way as the residue from the calciteapatite flotation was treated in the discussion of the process illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.
  • a pulp of the ore comprising about 50% solids in water was conditioned for minutes with 0.8 lbs/ton of oleic acid, 1.2 lbs./ ton of Petronate L (a trademark of L. Sonneborn Sons Inc., New York City for a salt of a petroleum sulfonic acid), and 2 lbs/ton of water glass (sodium silicate).
  • This conditioned pulp was then reduced to about 20% solids, the calcite-apatite concentrate floated, and the concentrate was cleaned with 1 lb./ ton of sodium silicate.
  • the cleaner tails were combined with the flotation tails.
  • tailings were dewatered to about 60% solids and conditioned 5 minutes for mica flotation with 1.0 lb./ton of causticized starch having an alkali-starch ratio of 1 to 3 and 0.5 lb./ ton of Amine 220.
  • the conditioned pulp was then diluted to about 20% solids, and the mica concentrate floated off. This concentrate was cleaned twice with the addition of 1.0 lb./ton of causticized starch to the cleaner cells.
  • the cleaner tails were combined with the flotation tails and treated by magnetic concentration to recover a magnetite concentrate, which was given one cleaning pass.
  • the cleaner tails and the tailings from the magnetic concentration were dewatered to about 60% solid and conditioned 6 minutes with 4.0 lb./ton of HF, and 0.5 lb./ton of Aeromine 2026.
  • the conditioned pulp was reduced to about 20% solid and the pyrochlore concentrate floated off. This concentrate was given two cleanings with the addition of 0.5 lb./ton of HP at each cleaning.
  • the two cleaner tails were combined for assaying.
  • EXAMPLE II The whole ore was treated as in the Example I to remove a calcite-apatite concentrate, followed by magnetic concentration to remove a magnetite concentrate, and then the dewatered combined tailings and cleaner tails were conditioned directly for the pyrochlore flotation, bypassing the mica flotation.
  • the reagents used in the pyrochlore flotation conditioning were HF at 3 lbs/ton, Aerornine 2026 at 0.8 lb./ton, and guar at 0.5 lb./ ton to favor the mica depression.
  • the pyrochlore concentrate was cleaned three times and the cleaner tails combined for assaying. This procedure gave the following results:
  • Example II The whole ore was treated as in Example I to remove a calcite-apatite concentrate and the dewatered tailings from this flotation were conditioned directly for the pyrochlore flotation, bypassing the iron and mica removals.
  • the reagents used in the pyrochlore flotation conditioning were HP at 5 lbs/ton, Amine 220 at 0.6 lbs./ ton, and guar gum at 0.4 lbs/ton to favor the mica depression.
  • the pyrochlore concentrate was cleaned twice only with the addition of 0.2 lbs/ton of guar gum and 0.4 lbs/ton of Amine 220 to the cleaner flotation, and the cleaner tails combined for assaying.
  • the grade of 22.6% Nb O can be improved with successive cleaning operations.
  • EXAMPLE IV The whole ore was treated as in Example I to remove a calcite-apatite concentrate, followed by magnetic concentration to remove a magnetite concentrate.
  • the tailings from this concentration were conditioned for 5 minutes with a xanthate (0.5 lbs./ton of Z-6, an amylxanthate from Dow Chemical), and 1.0 lbs/ton of sulfuric acid, for the removal of metallic sulfides, particularly pyrite.
  • the dewatered tailings from this flotation were then conditioned with the same reagents, as used in Example II; the pyrochlore concentrate was cleaned only once. This procedure gave the following results.
  • the tailings from this flotation contained mostly the calcite and the apatite and was rejected as a calcite-apatite residue.
  • the concentrate so obtained contained most of the niobium minerals and was further treated for the optimum concentration of these minerals.
  • a process for beneficiating a mixture of minerals comprising a low concentration of oxidized niobium minerals dispersed in a large amount of gangue, said mixture being ground to particle sizes suitable for froth flotation feed which comprises forming an aqueous pulp of said mixture, subjecting said aqueous pulp to froth flotation in the presence of a cationic promoter of the aminetype and a selective activator for the niobium-bearing mineral selected from the group consisting of fluoride and fluosilicate ions, and collecting the resultant niobium-rich flotation concentrate, separately from the niobium-poor flotation tailing.
  • said cationic promoter is selected from monoamine and diamine acetate and heterocyclic organic amines.
  • said mica depressant is selected from gum arabic, gum guar, glues and starch.
  • said gangue includes a substantial amount of calcite and apatite, including the preliminary steps of subjecting the aqueous pulp to flotation in the presence of an anionic promoter selected from the group consisting of the higher fatty acids, resin acids, naphthenic acids, mixtures thereof, their soaps, sulphonated petroleum hydrocarbons and higher aliphatic alcohols, and a depressant selected from the group consisting of caustic starch and an alkali silicate, collecting the resultant flotation concentrate as a calciteapatite concentrate substantially from from niobium bearing minerals, separaely collecting the residual tailing as a concentrate of niobium-bearing mineral substantially free from apatite and calcite, and using said last named concentrate as the feed for the froth flotation of the niobium-bearing minerals.
  • an anionic promoter selected from the group consisting of the higher fatty acids, resin acids, naphthenic acids, mixtures thereof, their soaps, sul
  • caustic starch is a mixture of starch and an alkali, the alkalistarch ratio being between about 1:3 and 3: 1.
  • said gangue includes a substantial amount of mica, including the preliminary steps of subjecting the aqueous pulp to froth flotation in the presence of a cationic promoter of the amine type and of caustic starch as a niobium mineral depressant, collecting the resulting flotation concentrate as a mica concentrate substantially free from niobiumbearing minerals and separately collecting the residual tailing as a concentrate of niobium-bearing minerals substantially free from mica, and using said last named concentrate as the feed for the froth flotation of the niobiumbearing minerals.
  • a method of beneficiating ores o-f niobium-bearing minerals, more particularly pyrochlores, containing excessive amounts of gangue material which comprises the steps of reducing the ore to suitable size for flotation feed, conditioning the pulp with an effective amount of an anionic type promoter selected from the group consisting of the higher aliphatic fatty acids, resin acids, naphthenic acids, cotton-seed-foot-oil, oleic acid, mixtures thereof and their soaps, sulphonated petroleum hydrocarbons, higher aliphatic alcohols, and mixtures thereof, and an effective amount of niobium-bearing mineral depressant selected from causticized starch and alkali silicates, subjecting the conditioned pulp to froth flotation to float substantially all the carbonate and phosphorus bearing minerals therefrom, collecting and dewatering the resultant tailings, conditioning an aqueous pulp of these tailings with an effective amount of a substance selected from caustic starch and alkali silicate
  • a process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gangue includes a substantial amount of calcite and apatite including the preliminary steps of subjecting the aqueous pulp to flotation in the presence of a cationic promoter selected from the group consisting of cationic promoters of the primary mono amine acetate type, of the di-amine acetate type and of the heterocyclic amine type, collecting the resultant flotation concentrate as a niobium-bearing mineral, silicate and oxide concentrate substantially free from calcite and apatite, and using said last named concentrate as the feed for the froth flotation of the niobium-bearing minerals.
  • a cationic promoter selected from the group consisting of cationic promoters of the primary mono amine acetate type, of the di-amine acetate type and of the heterocyclic amine type
  • a method of beneficiating ores of niobium-bearing minerals, more particularly pyrochlores, containing an excess amount of gangue material which comprises the steps of reducing the ores to suitable size for flotation feed, conditioning the pulp with an eflective amount of cationic promoter of the amine type, subjecting the conditioned pulp to froth flotation to float a concentrate containing substantially all the niobium-bearing minerals together with silicates and oxides and substantially free from all the carbonate and phosphorus bearing minerals,
  • a process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gangue includes a substantial amount of metallic sulphides including the preliminary steps of subjecting the aqueous pulp to froth flotation in the presence of a promoter of the Xanthate type, collecting the resultant flotation concentrate as a metallic sulphide concentrate essentially free from niobium-bearing minerals and separately collecting the residual tailings as a concentrate of niobium-bearing minerals substantially free from metallic sulphides, and using said last named concentrate as a feed for the froth flotation of the niobium-bearing minerals.

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  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
  • Silicates, Zeolites, And Molecular Sieves (AREA)
US784391A 1958-12-31 1958-12-31 Flotation of niobium-bearing minerals Expired - Lifetime US2959281A (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US784391A US2959281A (en) 1958-12-31 1958-12-31 Flotation of niobium-bearing minerals
DET17622A DE1181141B (de) 1958-12-31 1959-12-19 Verfahren zur Schaumflotation von niobhaltigen Mineralien
GB43484/59A GB892393A (en) 1958-12-31 1959-12-22 Flotation of niobium bearing minerals
FR814488A FR1247025A (fr) 1958-12-31 1959-12-30 Procédé de flottation des matières minérales contenant du colombium

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DE (1) DE1181141B (fr)
FR (1) FR1247025A (fr)
GB (1) GB892393A (fr)

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US3259242A (en) * 1962-11-29 1966-07-05 Int Minerals & Chem Corp Beneficiation of apatite-calcite ores
US3462017A (en) * 1966-12-29 1969-08-19 Cominco Ltd Phosphate flotation process
US3910836A (en) * 1972-01-29 1975-10-07 Soquem Pyrochlore flotation
US3990966A (en) * 1975-04-04 1976-11-09 Thompson-Weinman And Company Flotation process for purifying calcite
US4178235A (en) * 1978-06-30 1979-12-11 Wilson James A Flotation recovery of pyrochlore
US4342648A (en) * 1981-05-05 1982-08-03 Les Services Tmg Inc. Direct flotation of pyrochlore
CN114082521A (zh) * 2021-11-24 2022-02-25 贺州久源矿业有限公司 一种从花岗岩风化壳型钾长石综合回收云母的工艺
CN115090426A (zh) * 2022-05-05 2022-09-23 中国矿业大学(北京) 一种基于新型抑制剂的锡铅锌多金属矿浮选分离的方法
CN115090411A (zh) * 2022-06-06 2022-09-23 包头钢铁（集团）有限责任公司 一种从白云鄂博矿中选出五氧化二铌品位4%以上的铌精矿的方法

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US4493817A (en) * 1983-07-06 1985-01-15 Teck Corporation Process for recovering pyrochlore mineral containing niobium and tantalum
EP4168177A4 (fr) * 2020-06-17 2024-02-28 Metso Finland Oy Élimination de si à partir de courants aqueux d'installations de traitement de minerais

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US2875896A (en) * 1957-10-10 1959-03-03 Kennecott Copper Corp Process of concentrating columbium minerals by froth flotation

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US2297689A (en) * 1940-04-05 1942-10-06 O'meara Robert Gibson Separation of feldspar from quartz
US2875896A (en) * 1957-10-10 1959-03-03 Kennecott Copper Corp Process of concentrating columbium minerals by froth flotation

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3259242A (en) * 1962-11-29 1966-07-05 Int Minerals & Chem Corp Beneficiation of apatite-calcite ores
US3462017A (en) * 1966-12-29 1969-08-19 Cominco Ltd Phosphate flotation process
US3910836A (en) * 1972-01-29 1975-10-07 Soquem Pyrochlore flotation
US3990966A (en) * 1975-04-04 1976-11-09 Thompson-Weinman And Company Flotation process for purifying calcite
US4178235A (en) * 1978-06-30 1979-12-11 Wilson James A Flotation recovery of pyrochlore
US4342648A (en) * 1981-05-05 1982-08-03 Les Services Tmg Inc. Direct flotation of pyrochlore
CN114082521A (zh) * 2021-11-24 2022-02-25 贺州久源矿业有限公司 一种从花岗岩风化壳型钾长石综合回收云母的工艺
CN115090426A (zh) * 2022-05-05 2022-09-23 中国矿业大学(北京) 一种基于新型抑制剂的锡铅锌多金属矿浮选分离的方法
CN115090426B (zh) * 2022-05-05 2023-08-08 中国矿业大学(北京) 一种基于新型抑制剂的锡铅锌多金属矿浮选分离的方法
CN115090411A (zh) * 2022-06-06 2022-09-23 包头钢铁（集团）有限责任公司 一种从白云鄂博矿中选出五氧化二铌品位4%以上的铌精矿的方法

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GB892393A (en) 1962-03-28
DE1181141B (de) 1964-11-12
FR1247025A (fr) 1960-11-25

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