Rutile flotation

Effect of different collectors on rutile flotation from the Cerro Blanco rutile ore from Chile... 

Effect of succinamate collector on titanium rutile flotation using Wimmera heavy mineral sand from... 

The flowsheet developed for beneficiation of the White Mountain titanium ore consist of two distinct circuits (a) grinding, sizing and gravity preconcentration of the ore, and (b) rutile flotation from the gravity concentrate. This flowsheet includes gravity preconcentrate and flotation as shown in Figure 25.19. 

The electrostatic separation method is the exclusive choice in some specific situations, for example in the cases of rutile and ilmenite deposits. These deposits generally contain minerals of similar specific gravities and similar surface properties so that processes such as flotation are unsuitable for concentration. The major application of electrostatic separation is in the processing of beach sands and alluvial deposits containing titanium minerals. Almost all the beach sand plants in the world use electrostatic separation to separate rutile and ilmenite from zircon and monazite. In this context the flowsheet given later (see Figure 2.35 A) may be referred to. Electrostatic separation is also used with regard to a number of other minerals. Some reported commercial separations include those of cassiterite from scheelite, wolframite from quartz, cassiterite from columbite, feldspar from quartz and mica, and diamond from heavy associated minerals. Electrostatic separation is also used in industrial waste recovery. 

India has very large deposits of monazite on the coastal shores of Kerala and Chennai. A typical mineral composition of this type of deposit is 60% ilmenite, 1.2% rutile, 5% zircon, 6.4% garnet, 4% silinanite, 16% quartz, 2.5-5% monazite and 1-7% shell. Research work involved different anionic collectors and pH during monazite flotation, along with the level of sodium silicate used as depressant. 

Extensive research has been carried out mainly on ilmenite and, to a lesser degree, on flotation of rutile and perovskite. Flotation studies have been performed on titanium minerals from both hard rock and fine-grained sand deposits. 

The sulphosuccinamate collector was extremely effective in flotation of rutile, as well as ilmenite and zircon from a fine sand deposit. Laboratory testing conducted on Wimmera heavy mineral sand from Australia indicated that the use of sulphosuccinamate achieved a high titanium recovery in the bulk cleaner concentrate. Table 25.4 shows the results obtained on the Wimmera heavy mineral sand. The sand was scrubbed and deslimed before flotation. Between 90% and 95% Ti02 was recovered using a 60g/t addition of succina-mate collector. 

A composite collector blended with a 1 1 ratio of SPA and octanol was found to be an effective collector for flotation of hard rock rutile ores. 

A large portion of titanium minerals (ilmenite, rutile) are produced from heavy mineral sands using physical preconcentration methods including gravity, magnetic and electrostatic separation. Over the past 30 years, advances have been made using flotation, where ilmenite, mtile and perovskite can be effectively recovered from both heavy mineral sands and hard rock ores using flotation methods. 

The ilmenite production from heavy mineral sands exclusively utilizes a physical separation method using magnetic separation, gravity concentration and electrostatic separation. Flotation is practiced mainly for beneficiation of fine mineral sands containing rutile, ilmenite and zircon. The ilmenite that is produced in a number of operations in Western Australia, India and the USA is high in chromium, which makes the ilmenite unusable. This section discusses a new process that was developed for chromium removal from ilmenite concentrates. 

In the past, most of the rutile was produced from heavy mineral sands using physical concentration, involving gravity, magnetic separation and electrostatic concentration. The physical preconcentration method cannot be applied to a fine heavy mineral sand or hard ore. In some cases, heavy mineral sand contains zircon, tantalum, niobium and other heavy minerals, where in most cases a flotation method is used. 

Development and operation of zircon flotation at sierra rutile limited... 

The fine -250-mesh product was preconcentrated using gravity (tabling) followed by zircon flotation and magnetic separation to produce rutile and ilmenite concentrate. The process flowsheet with points of reagent additions is presented in Figure 25.14. Using... 

Rutile/ilmenite-zircon bulk flotation and separation... 

The bulk flotation can be accomplished with the addition of small doses of oleic acid plus oxidized emulsion of fuel oil. The fuel oil is treated with 10% solution of NaOH at a temperature of 60-80°C for 1 h. The following method was used for rutile-zircon separation the concentrate was thickened, followed by heat conditioning to 60°C. After the heat treatment, the zircon was floated without the addition of collector. The zirconium tailing is the rutile concentrate. The zircon concentrate was thickened, followed by gravity cleaning. In some cases, the heat-treated pulp is washed before zircon flotation. The following metallurgical results were obtained ... 

Method 2- It involves bulk flotation of rutile, ilmenite and zircon followed by selective flotation of mtile and ilmenite and depression of zircon. Figure 25.16 shows the flowsheet with type of reagent additions used in selective flotation of titanium from zircon. 

Over the past 10 years, new technology has been developed that allows flotation of rutile from complex hard rock ores. This new technology has been confirmed in continuous pilot plant operation. During the development testwork, ores from Mexico, Chile and Australia were studied. 

Results obtained using sequential rutile, ilmenite, and zircon flotation from bulk concentrate... 

Davis, J.P., Wonday, S., and Keilj, A.K., Developoment and Operation fo Zircon Flotation at Sierra Rutile, 10th Industrial Mineral International Congress, San Francisco, pp. 65-71, 1992. 

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