Beneficiation of a High Dolomitic Phosphate Ore: a Bench Scale Optimization Study

A three stage flotation scheme was employed to beneficiate a low grade. high dolomitic phosphate ore from Florida. The reagent scheme used. developed on the basis of our previous fundamental studies. consisted of oleic acid added as collector. mineral oil and ethoxylated sulfonate as co-collectors and 1. hydroxy ethylidene 1.1diphosphonic acid (Dequest 2010) as francolite depressant. The three stage scheme was designed to remove fine dolomite (minus 210 microns) in the first stage. quartz in the secolrd and coarse dolomite (plus 210 microns) in the filral stage. Using a systematic optimizatiolr procedure. which included a comprehensive factorial design. a 420xl05 microns phosphate ore assaying 9.8 wt% P20S' 1.9 wt% MgO and 58 wt% acid insolubles was beneficiated to a product analyzing 31 wl% P20S' 0.9 wt% MgO and 6.0 wt% acid insolubles at a phosphate recovery of 71 wt%.