Effects of frother type and froth height on the flotation behaviour of chromite in UG2 ore

Ekmekçi, Z., Bradshaw, D. J., Allison, S. A. and Harris, P. J. (2003) Effects of frother type and froth height on the flotation behaviour of chromite in UG2 ore. Minerals Engineering, 16 10: 941-949.


Author Ekmekçi, Z.
Bradshaw, D. J.
Allison, S. A.
Harris, P. J.
Title Effects of frother type and froth height on the flotation behaviour of chromite in UG2 ore
Journal name Minerals Engineering  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank A*)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2003-10
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1016/j.mineng.2003.08.001
Volume number 16
Issue number 10
ISSN 0892-6875
Start page 941
End page 949
Total pages 9
Place of publication Oxford, U.K.
Publisher Pergamon Press
Language eng
Subject 0914 Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy
Formatted abstract About 70% of the UG2 reef consists of the gangue mineral chromite (FeO · Cr2O3). In the processing of UG2 ore by flotation for the recovery of platinum group elements (PGEs) the presence of chromite in the concentrates can cause serious downstream processing problems and a grade of less than 3% Cr2O3 is sought. This constrains operating procedures and compromises optimum recovery of the PGEs.

In this study, the influence of the froth phase on the recovery of chromite was investigated by changing both frother type and dosage and froth height in batch scale flotation tests. The results obtained showed that it was possible to obtain concentrates with less than 3% Cr2O3 content by increasing the froth height, allowing for better drainage of both entrained gangue particles and coarse particles with low hydrophobicity. At a 3 cm froth height, very low water and mass recovery were obtained and thus low entrainment. Nevertheless a small amount of chromite particles coarser than 45 μm was persistently recovered which may be attributed to the true flotation of these particles.

The mechanism of chromite recovery was discussed on the basis of the difference in the appearance of the froth structure and water recovery.
Keyword Precious metal ores
Flotation froths
Flotation frothers
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Provisional Code
Institutional Status Unknown

 
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Created: Tue, 12 Jan 2010, 15:03:12 EST by June Temby on behalf of Sustainable Minerals Institute