In the ilmenite beneficiation process, flotation technology is often used to achieve beneficiation indicators. The three commonly used flotation technologies include conventional flotation, flocculation flotation and agglomeration flotation. This article will introduce these three ilmenite flotation technologies in detail and compare the principles and application effects.
Ilmenite is usually brittle and dense, but fine or micro-fine ilmenite shows good floatability, which provides an opportunity for the application of flotation technology. But at the same time, it also brings a series of challenges to mineral processing. How to improve the flotation efficiency of fine-grained ilmenite, how to ensure the grade and recovery rate of concentrate, etc., have become important issues in ilmenite flotation.
1. Principle
Conventional flotation method mainly uses the difference in wettability of mineral surfaces to achieve separation. The collector selectively adsorbs on the surface of ilmenite, changing its surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. During the flotation process, air is introduced to form bubbles, and the hydrophobic ilmenite particles combine with the bubbles and float up, while the hydrophilic impurity minerals remain in the slurry, thereby achieving the separation of ilmenite and impurities.
2. Commonly used collectors
(1) Oleic acid and its soaps: As traditional collectors, oleic acid and its soaps have mature application technology and high reliability in the field of ilmenite flotation. However, their disadvantages are also obvious, with large material consumption and increased mineral processing costs.
(2) Oxidized paraffin soaps: Oxidized paraffin soaps are obtained by oxidation and saponification of paraffin wax. They are widely available and relatively cheap. They can replace oleic acid and its soaps to a certain extent, but their mineral processing efficiency is poor and the grade of selected minerals is not stable enough.
(3) Tal oil: Tal oil is the acidification product of tal soap. Compared with oxidized paraffin soaps, the grade of selected minerals is more stable. However, emulsification treatment is required before flotation to ensure the collection effect.
(4) New collectors: New ilmenite collectors have better selectivity and generally do not require emulsification treatment. For some difficult-to-separate minerals, such as ilmenite and pyroxene, new collectors can achieve better separation effects and significantly improve the grade of ore.
3. Application effect
Conventional flotation is widely used and has a good recovery effect for ilmenite within a certain particle size range. Although the application technology of oleic acid and its soap collectors is mature, the material consumption is large. Oxidized paraffin soap is widely available and cheap, but the mineral processing efficiency is low and the grade is unstable. The grade of ore selected by tall oil is relatively stable, but it needs emulsification treatment. The new collector performs well in selectivity and separation effect, and can greatly improve the grade of ore.
1. Selective flocculation method
(1) Principle: In a mixture composed of two or more minerals, one mineral is selectively agglomerated to gradually achieve separation. Through specific reagents and process conditions, the surface properties of the target mineral are changed, thereby achieving selective flocculation.
(2) Application effect: It can effectively separate ilmenite from complex mineral compositions and improve the grade of concentrate.
2. Hydrophobic flocculation method
(1) Principle: The hydrophobic effect between hydrophobic particles suspended in water is used to attract each other and condense into agglomerates, and then the separation operation is carried out.
(2) Application effect: The grade of the raw ore can be increased from less than 10% to 40% - 50%, greatly increasing the recycling efficiency, and even exceeding 50%.
1. Principle: The collector adsorbed on the surface of the ilmenite makes the ilmenite hydrophobic, and the ore particles are agglomerated by the capillary force of the bridge liquid, and then floated for sorting.
2. Key points of operation: During the mineral processing process, the intensity and strength of stirring must be ensured to make the ore particles easier to agglomerate. At the same time, attention should be paid to the selection and dosage of collectors and inhibitors.
3. Influencing factors
(1) Stirring intensity: If the stirring intensity is not enough, the recovery rate may drop by 4% - 5% or even more.
(2) Impeller parameters: The impeller diameter and its position in the tank have an important influence on the flotation index. When the impeller diameter reaches about 50% of the diameter of the mixing tank and the distance between the impeller and the bottom of the tank is about one meter, the agglomeration flotation method has the best effect.
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, ilmenite flotation technology will continue to innovate and develop. The research and development of new collectors, the optimization of flotation processes and the application of combined beneficiation methods will provide more powerful support for the efficient recovery of ilmenite. At the same time, environmentally friendly and energy-saving flotation technology will also become the future development direction to achieve the coordinated development of mineral resource development and environmental protection.
