The ‘Crago Process’ and Its Applicability to a South African Sedimentary Phosphate Deposit

Abstract The traditional approach for the beneficiation of South African siliceous sedimentary phosphate ores has been reverse cationic flotation. robustness this approach, however, a concern due to its sensitivity parameters such as slimes content, headgrade (P 2 O 5 and SiO content), reagent dosages conditioning times. mineralisation ore body under investigation is predominantly carbonate fluorapatite composed mainly quartz apatite minor amounts chlorite, ilmenite carbonates. Beneficiation low grade containing calcareous impurities, calcite and/or dolomite in addition gangue, required meet increasing demand; therefore, much research carried out find an alternative technique beneficiate material. This paper investigates flotation approaches versus currently adopted ‘Crago Process’. Comparative results are presented terms upgrade potential production concentrate rock downstream applications. novelty Process’ lies double stage i.e. direct fatty acid followed by amine Crago process was able achieve higher upgrades reporting at 32.1% P compared conventional only achieving grades 18.5% . Furthermore, recovery gain 3%.