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
  • B03D1/02—Froth-flotation processes
  • B03D1/06—Froth-flotation processes differential

Definitions

• the process involves treating the ore pulp with a high molecular weight acrylamide polymer to flocculate the slimes and then with a cationic collector for the flocculated slimes.
• the treated ore pulp is then subjected to froth flotation to float off the slimes.
• This invention relates to the beneficiation of sylvinite ore. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in the beneficiation of sylvinite ore whereby the recovery of sylvite (KCl) is substantially increased. Still more particularly, it relates to a novel procedure for the removal of clay slimes from the ore whereby the loss of KCl values, normally encountered in the desliming of the ore, is substantially reduced.
• the desliming of sylvinite ores can be effected, with less than about 1 percent of the sylvite values being removed with the slimes, by a process in which the pulped ore is subjected to a selective flocculation, followed by froth flotation of the slimes.
• the ore pulp is treated first, with from about 0.005 to about 0.5 lbs/ton, of a high molecular weight anionic or nonionic polyacry lamide, whereby the slime particles are flocculated, and then with from about 0.01 to about 1.0 lbs/ton of a defined type of cationic agent capable of selectively floating the flocculated slimes.
• a suitable frothing agent is then added, air is introduced and the resulting froth containing the slimes is removed by skimming.
• the process of the invention may be advantageously applied to the original (run-of-the-mill) ore pulp or a slime fraction obtained by screening, or by hydroseparation using cyclones. It will be understood, however, that the amounts of the polymer and collecting agent used in treating such a slime fraction will be the same as that for treating the original ore pulp since the slime fraction will contain substantially all of the slime contained in the original ore.
• the acrylamide polymers useful in the process of the invention include both the polyacrylamides and copolymers of acrylamide with up to about mole percent of a copolymerizable monomer, such as acrylic or methacrylic acid and their lower alkyl esters, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, meth-acrylamide, vinyl alkyl ethers, styrene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride and the like.
• a copolymerizable monomer such as acrylic or methacrylic acid and their lower alkyl esters, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, meth-acrylamide, vinyl alkyl ethers, styrene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride and the like.
• Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamides, containing up to 70 percent sodium acrylate groups are also suitable.
• the polymers are soluble in saturated brine solutions and have molecular weights ranging from 500,000 to 30 million.
• Polyacrylamides and the copolymers of acrylamide with acrylic or methacrylic acid are generally preferred because of their commercial availability.
• Highly suitable commercial polymers are, for example, (1) a polyacrylamide containing less than 1 percent carboxyl groups and having a molecular weight of 12-15 million (referred to hereinafter as Polymer A); (2) a polyacrylamide containing less than 1 percent carboxyl groups and having a molecular weight of 3-5 million (referred to hereinafter as Polymer B); (3) a copolymer of 70 percent acrylamide and 30 percent acrylic acid having a molecular weight of about 2 million (referred to hereinafter as Polymer C); and (4) a hydrolyzed polyacrylamide containing 7 mole percent sodium acrylate and having an M. W. of 12-15 million (Polymer D hereinafter).
• the cationic collecting agents useful in the invention are either A. condensation products of ethylene oxide with a nitrogen-containing compound selected from:
• the condensation products (A) are made by reacting 1 mole proportion of the nitrogen-containing compound with from 1 to 10 mole proportions of ethylene oxide, the ethylene oxide being condensed into the nitrogen compound at the amino nitrogen atom(s) thereof.
• ethylene oxide being condensed into the nitrogen compound at the amino nitrogen atom(s) thereof.
• R-NH primary amine
• the product would have the formula Since, however, the exact formulas for all of the condensation products are not known, they are not definable by a generic formula and they are, therefore, defined herein in terms of the number of moles of ethylene oxide reacted with the nitrogen compounds. It is seen, however, that products are characterized by having at least one long-chain (C -C aliphatic group attached to an amino nitrogen therein and from 1 to ethoxy groups condensed therein.
• condensation products are as follows:
• Tallow Amine is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated C -C alkyl amines.
• quaternary ammonium salt collectors are:
• XII I N-Acetate-N,N-Dimethyl-N-Stearamidopropyl Amine.
• the anion is -Cl-I CO
• the ore is crushed to flotation size and scrubbed in saturated brine at 70 percent solids.
• the pulp thus formed (or a slimes fraction thereof produced by screening and/or cycloning) is then charged to a flotation machine and diluted to about 20 percent solids with saturated brine.
• the machine is started and the required amount of polymer is added as a dilute brine solution thereof.
• the required amount of collecting agent is added as a dilute solution in brine.
• a frothing agent is then added and, after a further brief conditioning period, air is introduced.
• the resulting froth containing the slimes is then skimmed off.
• EXAMPLE 1 A A sylvinite ore assaying 37.7 percent of KC] was crushed and scrubbed for 20 minutes at 70 percent so]- ids in saturated brine. The pulped ore was then charged to a laboratory size Fagergren'flotation machine and diluted to 20 percent solids with saturated brine. The machine was then run at approximately 900 RPM and after seconds the pulp was conditioned for 15 seconds with 0.034 lbs./ton of Polymer A (supra). It was then conditioned for 15 seconds with 0.086 lbs/ton of Reaction Product V (supra) as collector agent and 0.02 lbs/ton of methyl isobutyl carbinol as frothing agent. Air was then turned on and the resulting clay froth removed by skimming over a period of 5 minutes. The pertinent data are shown in Table I.
• said cationic collector being (A) a condensation product of from 1 to 10 mole proportions of ethylene oxide Analysls Dlstrlbunon 5 %KC
• the acrylamlde polymer is a polyacrylamide containing less than 1 per- EXAMPLES cent carboxyl groups and having a molecular weight of Further slime flotations of sylvinite ores were con- 12-15 mlthohducted (Examples 3-l4) after the fashion of Example
• the wherein the cationic collector is the reaction product of mole proportions of ethtor is trimethyl octadecy] ammonium hl id ylene oxide with 1 mole proportion of tallow amine.
• the cationic collector isthe reaction product of 5 mo l e proportions of eth- 5 ylene oxide with 1 mole proportion of oleamide.

Landscapes

• Separation Of Suspended Particles By Flocculating Agents (AREA)
• Paper (AREA)
• Treatment Of Sludge (AREA)

Priority Applications (8)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (16)

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Citations (9)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1972
  • 1972-04-07 US US00242248A patent/US3805951A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1973
  • 1973-03-30 IT IT49144/73A patent/IT980062B/it active
  • 1973-04-02 DD DD169893A patent/DD108043A5/xx unknown
  • 1973-04-03 FR FR7312008A patent/FR2179065B1/fr not_active Expired
  • 1973-04-04 GB GB1619873A patent/GB1419554A/en not_active Expired
  • 1973-04-06 ES ES413414A patent/ES413414A1/es not_active Expired
  • 1973-04-06 CA CA168,093A patent/CA972087A/en not_active Expired

Patent Citations (9)

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