US 4,067,953 A · Process for upgrading ores containing baddeleyite

Abstract

Minerals, for example, zirconium minerals, are subjected to a chemical process of comminution, in particular with the aid of strong acids. These acids dissolve the carbonatic and silicious cements which hold together the crystalline forms of different mineral species from one another, e.g., magnetic and non-magnetic species to render them amenable to further separation in a subsequent ore dressing stage, e.g., by high intensity magnetic separation. This process is operative as these cements dissolve in acid more readily than most of the other compounds of the ores. This separation was found to take place more effectively than by the usual methods of mechanical grinding and without the disadvantage of an unfavorable particle size distribution which results from grinding. It was found that the same process conditions also resulted in a particularly favorable removal of naturally occurring radioactive contaminants from the minerals, in particuar thorium and uranium. The process is particularly suitable for purifying the zirconium mineral baddeleyite, which is useful for ceramic and chemical industries.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A process for upgrading of ore containing baddeleyite in the form of crystals from the composite ore particles of the ore comprising the steps of

i. leaching said composite ore particles, the major portion of said composite particles having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis, the composite particles in said portion comprising of:
A. baddeleyite crystals
B. other mineral materials selected from the group consisting of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals of iron, of titanium comprising ilmenite, and of radioactive minerals comprising those of thorium and uranium, and
C. a carbonatitic or siliceous or carbonatitic and siliceous cement bonding said baddeleyite to said other mineral materials, with mineral acid at elevated temperature not exceeding acid reflux temperature to dissolve said cement until said baddeleyite is separated from said other mineral materials and the size composition of the mineral material between 0.2 and 0.15 millimeters is reduced to less than half its original value and material in the size range of 0.15 millimeters to 0.074 millimeters in diameter is corresponding increased,
ii. magnetically treating the acid leached product of (i) by high intensity magnetic separation
iii. and recovering non-magnetic purified particulate baddeleyite.

3 more elements

A process for upgrading of ore containing baddeleyite in the form of crystals from the composite ore particles of the ore comprising the steps of

i. leaching said composite ore particles, the major portion of said composite particles having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis, the composite particles in said portion consisting of:
A. baddeleyite crystals
B. other mineral materials selected from the group consisting of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals of iron, of titanium comprising ilmenite, and of radioactive minerals comprising those of thorium and uranium, and
C. a carbonatitic or siliceous or carbonatitic and siliceous cement bonding said baddeleyite to said other mineral materials,
with mineral acid at elevated temperature not exceeding acid reflux temperature to dissolve said cement until said baddeleyite is separated from said other mineral materials and the size composition of the mineral material between 0.2 and 0.15 millimeters is reduced to less than half its original value and material in the size range of 0.15 millimeters to 0.074 millimeters in diameter is corresponding increased,
ii. magnetically treating and gravity separating the acid leached product of (i)
iii. and recovering non-magnetic purified particulate baddeleyite.

4 more elements

A process for upgrading of ore containing baddeleyite in the form of crystals from composite ore particles of the ore comprising the steps of

i. comminuting an ore comprising the zirconium ore mineral baddeleyite, thereby to provide composite ore particles in admixture with minerals including apatite and magnetite,
ii. removing the bulk of magnetite and apatite from the comminuted composite ore particles to provide a concentrate composed of particles, the major portion of which have diameters of 0.074 to 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis,
iii. subjecting said concentrate to gravity concentration to yield:
a. a particulate baddeleyite concentrate containing zirconium and hafnium oxides as the major portion,
b. a middling fraction of particulate material (R) containing zirconium and hafnium oxides in lesser concentration than the concentrate and including composite ore particles containing baddeleyite
c. a tailings fraction of particulate material (S) containing only such portions of zirconium and hafnium oxide which escaped recovery in the concentrate and middling fractions, and
iv. comminuting said middling fraction and recycling it in gravity concentration to yield additional baddeleyite concentrate, such concentrate which includes the concentrate of (iii)a) being composed of particles more than half of which by weight are greater than 0.15 millimeters in size
v. leaching said composite ore particles of (iv) supra, the major portion of said composite particles having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis, the composite particles in said portion consisting of:
A. baddeleyite crystals
B. other mineral materials selected from the group consisting of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals of iron, of titanium comprising ilmenite, and of radioactive minerals comprising those of thorium and uranium, and
C. a carbonatitic or siliceous or carbonatitic and siliceous cement bonding said baddeleyite to said other mineral materials,
with mineral acid at elevated temperarture not exceeding acid reflux temperature to dissolve said cement until said baddeleyite is separated from said other mineral materials and the size composition of the mineral material between 0.2 and 0.15 millimeters is reduced to less than half its original value and material in the size range of 0.15 millimeters to 0.074 millimeters in diameter is correspondingly increased,
vi. magnetically treating the acid leached product of (i) by high intensity magnetic separation
vii. and recovering non-magnetic purified particulate baddeleyite.

11 more elements

A process for upgrading of ore containing baddeleyite in the form of crystals from composite ore particles of the ore comprising the steps of

i. comminuting an ore comprising the zirconium ore mineral baddeleyite, thereby to provide composite ore particles in admixture with minerals including apatite and magnetite,
ii. removing the bulk of magnetite and apatite from the comminuted composite ore particles to provide a concentrate composed of particles, the major portion of which have diameters of 0.074 to 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis,
iii. subjecting said concentrate to gravity concentration to yield:
a. a particulate baddeleyite concentrate containing zirconium and hafnium oxides as the major portion,
b. a middling fraction of particulate material (R) containing zirconium and hafnium oxides in lesser concentration than the concentrate and including composite ore particles containing baddeleyite
c. a tailings fraction of particulate material (S) containing only such portions of zirconium and hafnium oxide which escaped recovery in the concentrate and middling fractions, and
iv. leaching said middling fraction composite ore particles, the major portion of said composite particles having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis, the composite particles in said portion consisting of:
A. baddeleyite crystals
B. other mineral materials selected from the group consisting of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals of iron, of titanium comprising ilmenite, and of radioactive minerals comprising those of thorium and uranium, and
C. a carbonatitic or siliceous or carbonatitic and siliceous cement bonding said baddeleyite to said other mineral materials,
with a mineral acid at elevated temperature not exceeding acid reflux temperature to dissolve said cement until said baddeleyite is separated from said other mineral materials and the size composition of the mineral material between 0.2 and 0.15 millimeters is reduced to less than half its original value and material in the size range of 0.15 millimeters to 0.074 millimeters in diameter is correspondingly increased,
v. magnetically treating the acid leached product of (i) by high intensity magnetic separation
vi. and recovering non-magnetic purified particularate baddeleyite.

10 more elements

A process for upgrading of ore containing baddeleyite in the form of crystals from the composite ore particles of the ore comprising the steps of

i. comminuting an ore comprising the zirconium ore mineral baddeleyite, thereby to provide composite ore particles in admixture with minerals including apatite and magnetite,
ii. removing the bulk of magnetite and apatite from the comminuted ore particles to provide a preconcentrate composed of particles, the major portion of which have diameters of 0.074 to 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis.
iii. subjecting said preconcentrate to gravity concentration to yield:
a. a particulate baddeleyite concentrate containing zirconium and hafnium oxides as the major portion,
b. a middling fraction of particulate material (R) containing zirconium and hafnium oxides in lesser concentration than the concentrate and including composite ore particles containing baddeleyite, the major portion of said composite particles having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis, the composite particles in said portion consisting of:
A. baddeleyite crystals
B. other mineral and materials selected from the group consisting of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals of iron, of titanium comprising ilmenite, and of radioactive minerals comprising those of thorium and uranium, and
C. a carbonatitic or siliceous or carbonatitic and siliceous cement bonding said baddeleyite to said other mineral materials,
c. a tailings fraction of particulate material (S) containing only such portions of zirconium and hafnium oxide which escaped recovery in the concentrate and middling fraction,
iv. subjecting said middling fraction to leaching with mineral acid to physically release the baddeleyite in particulate form from said other mineral of the composite particles, also in particulate form, thereby converting the major portion of those particles in said middling fraction which prior to said leaching are in a size range of 0.2 through 0.15 mm diameter, so as to after said leaching be in a size range of 0.15 to 0.074 mm diameter as determined by screen analysis;
v. recycling the product of step (iv) to step (iii),
and
2. subjecting the concentrate of step (iii) which includes reconcentrated product of combined steps (v) and (i) to high intensity magnetic separation to remove particles therefrom which are attracted under the conditions of said high intensity magnetic separation, and to leave behind purified baddeleyite composite ore particles and
recovering non-magnetic purified particulate baddeleyite.

11 more elements

A process for upgrading of ore containing baddeleyite in the form of crystals from composite ore particles of the ore comprising the steps of

1. i. comminuting an ore comprising the zirconium ore mineral baddeleyite, thereby to provide composite ore particles in admixture with minerals including apatite and magnetite,
ii. removing the bulk of magnetite and apatite from the comminuted composite ore particles to provide a preconcentrate composed of particles, the major portion of which have diameters of 0.074 to 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis,
iii. subjecting said preconcentrate to leaching with mineral acid to physically release the baddeleyite in particulate form from said other mineral of the composite particles, also in particulate form,
iv. subjecting said preconcentrate to gravity concentration to yield:
a. a particulate baddeleyite concentrate containing zirconium and hafnium oxides as the major portion,
b. a middling fraction of particulate material (R) containing zirconium and hafnium oxides in lesser concentration than the concentrate and including composite ore particles containing baddeleyite,
c. a tailings fraction of particulate material (S) containing only such portions of zirconium and hafnium oxide which escaped recovery in the concentrate and middling fraction,
v. recycling the product (b) of step (iv) to the beginning of step (iv), and
2. i. leaching said concentrate of step (iv) (a) which includes preconcentrated product of combined steps (v) and (iv), the major portion of said concentrate particles having a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm as determined by screen analysis, the composite particles in said portion consisting of:
a. baddeleyite crystals
b. other mineral materials selected from the group consisting of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals of iron, of titanium comprising ilmenite, and of radioactive minerals comprising those of thorium and uranium, and
c. a carbonatitic or siliceous or carbonatitic and siliceous cement bonding said baddeleyite to said other mineral materials,
with mineral acid at elevated temperature not exceeding acid reflux temperature to dissolve said cement until said baddeleyite is separated from said other mineral materials and the size composition of the mineral material between 0.2 and 0.15 millimeters is reduced to less than half its original valve and material in the size range of 0.15 millimeters to 0.074 millimeters in diameter is correspondingly increased,
ii. magnetically treating the acid leached product of (i) by high intensity magnetic separation,
iii. and recovering non-magnetic purified particulate baddeleyite.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for upgrading ores containing baddeleyite

Life of this patent

Process for upgrading ores containing baddeleyite

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22