Classifications

• • 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
  • B03D1/0043—Organic compounds modified so as to contain a polyether group
• • 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
  • B03D2201/02—Collectors
• • 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
  • B03D2203/00—Specified materials treated by the flotation agents; specified applications
  • B03D2203/02—Ores
  • B03D2203/04—Non-sulfide ores
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
  • Y10S209/901—Froth flotation; copper

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method for concentrating minerals from ores by froth flotation. More particularly, the present invention relates to froth flotation processes employing as a frothing agent poly(ethylene-propylene)glycols and lower alkyl mono ethers of such glycols.
• Froth flotation is a commonly; employed process for concentrating minerals from ores.
• a flotation process the ore is crushed and wet ground to obtain a pulp.
• a frothing agent usually employed with a collecting agent, is added to the ore to assist in separating valuable minerals from the undesired or gangue portions of the ore in subsequent flotation steps.
• the pulp is then aerated to produce a froth at the surface thereof and the collector assists the frothing agent in separating the mineral values from the ore bycausing the mineral values to adhere to the bubbles formed during this aeration step.
• the adherence of the mineral values is selectively accomplished so that the portion of the ore not containing mineral values does not adhere to the bubbles.
• the mineral-bearing froth is collected and further processed to obtain the desired minerals. That portion of the ore which is not carried overwith the froth, usually identifiedas flotation trailings", is usually not further processed for extraction of mineral values therefrom.
• the froth flotation process is applicable to ores containing metallic and nonmetallic mineralwalues.
• frothers most widely used in commercial froth flotation operations are monohydroxylated compounds such as C -C,, alcohols, pine oils, cresols and C C alkyl ethers of polypropylene glycols as well as dihydroxylates such as polypropylene glycolss
• the frothers most widely used in froth flotation operations are compounds containing a nonpolar, water-repellant group and a single, polar, water-avid group such as hydroxyl (OH).
• frothers are mixed amyl alcohols, methylis'obutyl carbinol, hexyl and heptyl alcohols, cresols, tepineol, etc.
• Other effective frothers used commercially are the C,C alkyl ethers of polypropylene glycol, especially the methyl ether and the polypropylene glycols of l40-2l00 molecular weight and particularly those in the 400-1100 range.
• additiomcertain alkoxyalkanes e.g. triethoxybutane, are used as frothers in the flotation of certain ores.
• poly (ethylene-propylene) glycols and the lower-mono alkyl C to C carbon atom-ethers of poly(ethylenepropylene )glycols are highly effective frothers.
• the frothers of the present invention are added to the ore and intimately mixed therewith either alone or together with a collector prior to and/or during the flotation step.
• the ore pulp-frother mixture is then treated under conditions to form a froth.
• the froth selectively removes the mineral values from the ore and the mineral-rich froth is separated from the ore flotation pulp and recovered. This value-depleted pulp which remains in the flotation cell is removed.
• the mineral-rich froth is then further treated to recover the desired mineral values.
• both the amount of mineral values which are recovered and the concentration of mineral values in the froth are substantially increased over prior processes which employ known frothers.
• the frothers of this invention can be employed in the flotation of metallic and nonmetallic-ores.
• Exemplary ores which are processed include sulfides and oxides of copper and molybdenum, lead, iron, nickel, cobalt, and'the like. Such ores may also contain precious metal values.
• Other exemplary ores are phosphate rock, cement rock, glass sands, feldspars, fluorspars, micas, clays, talcs, coals and ores containing tungsten, manganese, sulfur, and water-soluble minerals such as sodium and potassium chlorides, and the like.
• the frothers of this invention are employed in amounts of from about 0.005 lbs. per ton'ore to about 1.0 lb.
• frothers of the present invention are methods known to the art.
• the poly(ethylene-propylene)gylcols may be prepared by reacting ethylene glycol or propylene glycol with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide.
• the C to C monoalkyl ethers of the poly(ethylenepropylene)glycols of the present invention are prepared by reaction of an alcohol with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and the chain length or molecular weight of the reaction product is dependent on the quantities of the two alkylene oxides used.
• Typical suitable alcohols are methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, secondary butyl, isobutyl, normal amyl, various primary amyl, isoamyl, hexyl'and methylamyl alcohols.
• the preparation of the frothers'of the present invention is effected in the presence of a catalyst such as alkalies, sodium or potassium hydroxide, amines particularly tertiary amines such as triethanol amine, reaction products of amines and alkylene oxides and also boron trifluoride.
• a catalyst such as alkalies, sodium or potassium hydroxide, amines particularly tertiary amines such as triethanol amine, reaction products of amines and alkylene oxides and also boron trifluoride.
• the reaction may be carried out sequentially with either the ethylene oxide or propylene oxide being added first or concurrently with the oxides being reacted as a mixture. Reaction temperatures up to 150 C. are employed and pressures up to pounds per square inch are used.
• poly(ethylene-propylene)glycols and mono alkyl ethers useful in the present invention may be characterized in terms of their molecular weights. Products of average molecular weight in the range of about to about 2,500 are suitable for use as frothers with the range of about 250 to about 1,000 being preferred.
• the reaction products may be used as flotation frothers as produced, after neutralization with acid or after distillation to remove more volatile fractions.
• the pure poly(ethylenepropylene)glycols and mono alkyl ethers are useful in the present invention, although the reaction products or mixed fractions also are efficient frothers.
• the quantities of reactants are adjusted so that a frother of desired molecular weight may be obtained.
• a molar quantity of ethylene or propylene glycol or a C to C alcohol is reacted with sufficient ethylene oxide or propylene oxide so that the final polymeric condensate is in the molecular weight range of about 150 to about 2,500.
• the amount of ethylene oxide to propylene oxide reacted with ethylene glycol, propylene glycol or a lower alcohol may range from mole percent ethylene oxide-95 mole percent propylene oxide to about 95 mole percent ethylene oxide-5 mole percent propylene oxide based upon the total amount of alkylene oxide reacted.
• frothers of the present invention may be added to the ore pulp prior to and/or during the flotation operation. These frothers may be added directly to the ore pulp or, being soluble and readily dispersed in water, may be prediluted with water and then fed to the ore pulp. Such dilution permits more accurate control of the quantity of frother used and results in decreased frother requirements and lower costs. Stage feeding of the frothers also is frequently advantageous.
• the frothers of this invention can be employed either alone or in conjunction with standard frothers and with a conditioning agent or modifier and/or a water-soluble or oily collector or promoter.
• Suitable water-soluble collectors or promoters which can be employed in the flotation of sulfide or oxide metallic ores are alkali metal xanthates, sodium or potassium ethyl, isopropyl, secondary or isobutyl, amyl, or isoamyl and hexyl xanthates and dithiophosphates such as dicresyl, diethyl, diisopropyl, disecondary or diisobutyl, diamyl or diisoamyl and dihexyl dithiophosphates as free acids or as sodium, potassium or ammonium salts, as well as mercaptobenzothiazole derivatives.
• Suitable oily collectors which can be employed with the frothers of this invention include dithiocarbamates such as S-allyl-N-ethyldithiocarbamate, S-allyl-N-isopropyldithiocarbamate and S-allyl-N-methyl-dithiocarbamate, as well as allyl xanthates, dialkythionocarbamates and (alkoxycarbonyl) alkyl xanthates; these collectors are oil-soluble.
• suitable water-soluble and oil-soluble collectors or promoters are oleic acid, crude and refined tall oil, and tall oil fatty acids, naphthenic acids, the sodium, potassium, and ammonium soaps of such acids, black liquor soap, petroleum sulfonatcs, organic phosphates and polyphosphates, sulfonated oils and fatty acids, sulfosuccinates and sulfosuccinamates.
• Cationic type collectors such as long chain amines or imidazolines are employed in the flotation ofsilica and silicates and watensoluble minerals.
• collectors When collectors are used with the frothers of this invention, they are employed in varying quantities depending on the type of ore treated.
• the collector requirement is 0.01 and 2.0 lb./ton of ore, preferably between 0.02 and 0.5 lb./ton of ore.
• the collector requirement ranges from 0.05 to 5.0 lb./ton of ore, preferably 0.1 to about 3.0 lb./ton of ore.
• conditioning or modifying agents such as alkalies and acids to adjust pH so as to improve selectivity, flotation depressants to inhibit the flotation of unwanted minerals, and activators to enhance flotability and improve flotation rates may be used with the frothers of this invention.
• a laboratory Fagergren flotation machine operating at about 2100 rpm. with water only in the agitation chamber, is suitable.
• the frothers are added as 1-3 percent dispersions in water and agitated about 10 seconds with the water, about 2,200 ml. in volume, in the agitation chamber with the air valve closed to simulate a conditioning operation.
• the air valve is then opened and the froth allowed to build up at the surface of the water so as to permit observation of its volume, structure, and persistency during agitation and after removal from the agitation chamber.
• Frother dosages of about 0.0050.03 gram usually are sufficient to produce a froth which overflows from the flotation cell.
• EXAMPLE 1 Samples of Pennsylvania bituminous coal fines, 600 grams in weight and containing 22.3 percent ash, were conditioned with 1.25 lb./ton fuel oil and varying quantities of frother as given in the following table. Various reaction products of E0 and PO and n-butanol were used as frothers. These reaction products varied in molecular weight and in the ratio of EO and PO used in their preparation. These frothers were compared with technical hcptanol, the frother in standard use in the flotation of this coal. The results obtained in these flotation tests are summarized in the following table.
• trate contained the major portions of the molybdenum content of the ore which floated simultaneously with the copper minerals. in separate tests, several different frothers were used. The results of these comparative tests are given in the following table.
• EXAMPLE 5 A copper ore (about 0.80 percent Cu) from the western United States, containing copper values mainly as chalcopy- 30 rite, was ground to minus mesh with 3.3 lb./ton lime, 0.029
• EXAMPLE 7 Concentrate Zinc Type lb./ton Recovery Assay Mixed amyl alcohols 0.32 96.37 41.23 Reaction Product: n-Butanol 0.25 42.25 with percent EO-95 percent P0 (M01. Wt. 300) Reaction Product: n-Butanol 0.27 96.45 42.19 with 50 percent EO-50 percent PO (Mol. Wt. 850) Poly(ethylenc-propylene)- 0.27 96.43 42.24
• EXAMPLE 8 A sample ofa lead ore, containing about 1.6 percent Pb as galena, were ground, conditioned 1 minute with 0.042 lb./ton sodium isopropyl xanthate, and floated 5 minutes to produce a lead concentrate. A frother (molecular weight 300) obtained by reacting n-butanol with 5 percent EO and 95 percent P0 was used in the amount of 0.1 lb./ton. A lead concentrate was produced. which assayed 63.05 percent Pb and represented a lead recovery of 93.31 percent. An identical test substituting recovery of 93.25 percent.
• EXAMPLE 9 A cement rock from Pennsylvania, containing 69.7 percent CaCO was ground to about percent minus 325 mesh, conditioned with 1.0 lb./ton crude calcium lignin sulfurate, 0.55 lb./ton refined tall oil fatty acids, and 0.10 lb./ton Frother B of example 6 and floated for 5.5 minutes to produce a carbonate concentrate which assayed 82.9 percent CaCO; and contained 91.1 percent ofthe carbonate present in the flotation feed.
• This example illustrates the effective use of representative frothers of the present invention in a typical nonmetallic flotation operation.
• EXAMPLE 10 A Michigan iron ore, containing about 31.6 percent Fe mainly as hematite associated with a quartz gangue, was ground to about 65 mesh and deslimed. The deslimed fraction was conditioned at 66 percent solids with 2.0 1b./ton sulfuric acid, 1.75 lb./ton heavy fuel oil and 3.2 1b./ton of water-soluble petroleum sulfonates as promoter, diluted to about 20 percent solids and floated for 3 minutes to produce an iron concentrate. After 2.0 minutes of flotation, 0.05 lb./ton of Frother A of example 6 was added to augment the frothing action of the sulfonate promoter and aid in removing the iron minerals. The resulting iron concentrate was cleaned by reflotation to yield a final iron concentrate assaying 62.1 percent Fe and 8.7 percent silica and containing 92.8 percent of the iron present in the feed to flotation.
• EXAMPLE 11 A quartz sand containing 0.15 percent Fe O was scrubbed for 2.5 minutes, deslimed and conditioned at 65 percent solids with 0.6 lb./ton sulfuric acid, 1.0 lb./ton ofa 1:1 mixture of oil and water soluble petroleum sulfonate, 0.50 lb./t0n fuel oil and 0.10 lb./ton of the frother used in example 5 and then diluted to about 20 percent solids and floated 2.5 minutes to remove various iron-containing mineral contaminants.
• the resulting trailing product contained 0.021 percent Fe O and represented 90.2 percent ofthe weight of the flotation feed.
• a process for collecting mineral values from an ore which comprises mixing ground ore with water to form an ore pulp, aerating said pulp in the presence of an effective amount, as a frother, of a po1y(ethylene-propylene)glycol having an average molecular weight of from about 150 to about 2,500 and having been prepared by reacting ethylene glycol or propylene glycol with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, the amount of each of said oxides employed in the reaction being between 5 and mole percent based on the total amount of the two oxides employed, and recovering mineral values from the resulting froth.

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Citations (9)

• 1968
  • 1968-06-18 US US737811A patent/US3595390A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1969
  • 1969-05-14 ZM ZM70/69A patent/ZM7069A1/xx unknown
  • 1969-06-18 ES ES368469A patent/ES368469A1/es not_active Expired
  • 1969-06-18 DE DE19691930671 patent/DE1930671A1/de active Pending

Patent Citations (9)

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