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The beneficiation method of fluorite mineral varies according to the nature of the ore and its associated gangue minerals. Fluorspar is a common mineral used in a wide variety of industrial applications, and the beneficiation process aims to separate and concentrate the valuable fluorspar mineral from its associated gangue mineral for further processing. There are many common fluorite mineral beneficiation methods, and the following will introduce five of them to help you understand the beneficiation technology of fluorite mineral.
Use the table of contents below to navigate through the guide:
Gravity separation is a common method to separate gangue minerals from fluorite based on their specific gravity difference. This method works especially well when the gangue mineral has a lower specific gravity than fluorspar. Commonly used gravity separation techniques include jigs, shakers or spiral chutes.
Jig: use the pulsation of water to separate the particles according to their specific gravity. The heavier fluorspar particles settle faster and concentrate in the gravity bed, while the lighter gangue minerals are carried away by the water.
Shaker: uses the shaking action to separate particles according to their specific gravity. The ore is fed into a shaker with troughs, and as the table shakes, the heavier fluorite particles sink into the troughs while the lighter gangue minerals are washed away.
Spiral chute: Use spiral flowing water to separate particles according to their specific gravity. The ore is fed into a spiral trough, and as the spiral turns, the heavier fluorspar particles move outward and downward, while the lighter gangue minerals move upward and out.
Froth flotation is one of the most widely used methods in fluorite ore beneficiation. It is an efficient beneficiation method of fluorite ore, which can achieve high selectivity and concentration effect. Flotation can be divided into two steps: slurry adjustment and flotation separation.
1. Slurry adjustment: Mix the ground fluorite ore with an appropriate amount of water to form a slurry. Collectors are then added, chemicals that chemically react with the fluorite mineral and cause it to adsorb to the air bubbles. Then add foaming agent, these chemicals will be attached to the surface of the foam, and make the foam float stably in the slurry.
2. Flotation separation: Put the adjusted pulp into the flotation machine, and form air foam through mechanical stirring or gas injection. Due to the action of collectors and foaming agents, fluorite particles will combine with foam particles to form foam, which will float to the surface of the slurry. The gangue minerals sink to the bottom of the slurry because of their surface properties.
Magnetic separation can be used to remove magnetic gangue minerals from fluorite ore. By applying a magnetic field, magnetic minerals are attracted to the magnetic surface, thereby separating from non-magnetic minerals. It is one of the commonly used beneficiation methods for fluorite ore beneficiation.
The ground ore is mixed with an appropriate amount of water to form a slurry. A certain amount of magnetic media such as magnetite or iron oxide is added to the slurry, and these magnetic media will form magnetic lines of force when a magnetic field is applied to attract magnetic minerals to the magnetic surface. The pulp is pumped into the magnetic separator and a magnetic field is applied. The strength and direction of the magnetic field will cause the magnetic minerals to be adsorbed on the magnetic medium, while the non-magnetic minerals will not be affected and continue to float in the pulp. If there are other minerals or impurities to be removed, the magnetic separation concentrate can be subjected to further flotation treatment to obtain a purer fluorspar concentrate.
Some fluorspar ores may require chemical beneficiation methods to remove impurities or improve fluorspar grade. Chemical beneficiation involves various chemical treatments such as leaching, acid-base treatment and roasting. It is mainly used to process some fluorite ores with complex components.
When using chemical beneficiation technology, it is necessary to crush and grind the raw fluorite ore, and then adopt different chemical treatment methods to remove impurities according to the type and content of impurities in the ore, for example, use leaching to dissolve impurities in the ore, or use Alkaline and acidic chemicals are processed to change the properties of the magazine. After chemical treatment, the properties of fluorite concentrate and impurities in the ore change, and the concentration of concentrate increases.
For complex fluorspar ores containing fluorspar and other valuable minerals, a combination of flotation and gravity separation can be used. The ore is first subjected to froth flotation to separate the valuable minerals and then gravity separation to further concentrate the fluorspar.
First, the ore is subjected to flotation. In the flotation process, add appropriate collectors and foaming agents to separate the fluorite in the ore from other gangue minerals to obtain flotation concentrates. The flotation concentrate is further concentrated through steps such as washing, dehydration, and drying, and then undergoes gravity separation. Gravity separation equipment such as jigs, shakers, or spiral chutes can be used. Gravity sorting can further improve the grade of fluorite concentrate and reduce the impurity content.
The above contents are the five common beneficiation methods for fluorite mineral. When choosing the appropriate beneficiation method, Xinhai Mining recommends that it should be based on the beneficiation test results and production needs. Because the appropriate beneficiation method depends on the mineralogy, particle size, grade and impurity content of the ore, but at the same time it is related to the final concentrate grade of the concentrator, a comprehensive understanding of the ore characteristics and the production requirements of the concentrator is crucial to the decision on the beneficiation method. Xinhai Mining can provide you with one-stop service for fluorite ore beneficiation. If necessary, please leave a message for consultation.
