APPLICATION OF COMPLEXING REAGENTS-COLLECTORS IN RARE-METAL AND RARE-EARTH ORE

References: 17th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2017, www.sgem.org, SGEM2017 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-98-8 / ISSN 1314-2704, 29 June - 5 July, 2017, Vol. 17, Issue 11, 759-766 pp, DOI: 10.5593/sgem2017/11/S04.096

ABSTRACT

The possibility to use complexing reagents-collectors in floating different rare-earth and rare-metal ore has been studied. A prognostic assessment has been performed of efficiency of organic heteropolar compounds as flotation reagents-collectors on the basis of molecule’s energy parameters. The interaction has been considered of rare-earth and rare-metal minerals such as eudialite, zirconium, loparite and columbite with complexing reagents.
Gain in energy (ΔЕ) has been calculated by computer modeling at formation of model compounds of a collector with the crystal lattice ion on minerals surface.
The possibility has been studied of additional flotation recovery of rare-earth and rare-metal minerals from fine-grained waste resulted after columbite and loparite ore processing.
The alkylhydroxamic acids were used in floating tails left after gravity concentration of columbite ore with content of 0.065% Nb2O5, 0.0075% Та2О5 and 0.098% ZrO2. This has ensured production of collective concentrate with content of 7.939-12.185% ZrO2 and 4.430-6,780% Nb2O5.
From loparite slimes with content of 0.17 % Nb2O5 was produced the loparite product and dump flotation tails with content less 0.05% Nb2O5.

Keywords: flotation, complexing reagents, eudialite, loparite, columbite, zirconium