Enhanced flotation reagents for beneficiation of phosphate ores
AssigneeCustom Chemicals Corporation
InventorCraig V. Hughes
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Abstract
An improved phosphate ore beneficiation process is disclosed which comprises the employment of a novel combination of surfactants which, when combined with fatty acid collectors, enhances recovery of phosphate minerals in anionic flotation, even when used in plant water. The disclosed surfactants include petroleum sulfonates and ethoxylated alcohol ether sulfates.
Claims12
An improved process for beneficiating phosphate ore comprising washing, sizing, and beneficiating phosphate ore feed particles by anionic froth flotation, wherein the improvement comprises using as the flotation collector a fatty acid based reagent comprising about 0.1-99.9% of a blend of ether sulfates selected from the group consisting of an alkyl ether sulfate, an alkyl alcohol ether sulfate, and, mixtures thereof with a petroleum sulfonate, wherein the blend is present in an amount in the range of about 1:99-99:1% by weight of the phosphate ore.
A process for beneficiating phosphate ore comprising the steps of (a) sizing the phosphate ore, (b) washing the sized phosphate ore, and (c) subjecting the sized and washed phosphate ore to anionic froth flotation with a flotation collector to selectively recover the phosphate minerals wherein the flotation collector comprises a fatty acid based reagent comprising about 0.1-99.9% of a blend of ether sulfates selected from the group of ether sulfates consisting of an alkyl ether sulfate, an alkyl alcohol ether sulfate, and mixtures thereof with a petroleum sulfonate, wherein the blend is present in an amount in the range of about 1:99-99:1% by weight of the phosphate ore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.