Iranian Journal of Science & Technology, Transaction B, Engineering, Vol. 31, No.

B4, pp 447-450
Printed in The Islamic Republic of Iran, 2007
Shiraz University

Research Note
LAR MOUNTAIN PHOSPHATE ORE PROCESSING
*
USING FLOTATION APPROACH
M. GHARABAGHI1, M. NOAPARAST**2 AND S. Z. SHAFAEI TONKABONI3
1, 2

Dept. of Mining Eng., Faculty of Eng., University of Tehran, Tehran, I. R. of Iran

Email: noparast@ut.ac.ir
3
Faculty of Mining and Geophysics, University of Shahrood, , I. R. of Iran

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Abstract The sample of Lar Mountain Phosphate deposit which is located in the southwest of
Iran, was studied to upgrade its phosphate grade. The results obtained from mineralogical studies
showed the presence of apatite, CaO, Al2O3, Fe2O3 and SiO2, in which carbonate was detected as
the main gangue. Two sets of direct and reverse flotation tests were performed using samples
from this deposit with 10% P2O5. In phosphate flotation (direct approach), the samples were
conditioned with sodium silica, oleic acid-fuel oil and Armac T-fuel oil. The direct flotation at
pH=9.2 yielded a product with 23.2% of P2O5 and 75.16% recovery. The reverse flotation tests
were carried out at pH=5.2, with floating carbonate and pulp de-oiling, using H2SO4 and wash
water, and phosphate was then floated from siliceous gangue. In the second sets of the reverse
approach, depressing the phosphate and floating silica with Amines in natural pH were done.
However the best concentrate assay was 31.2% P2O5 with a 71.12% recovery, which was obtained
from reverse tests.
Keywords Mineral processing, phosphate processing, flotation, Lar mountain deposit

1. INTRODUCTION

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Separation of phosphate from carbonate gangues by flotation is extremely complex due to their similarities
in physico-chemical and surface chemistry properties of constituent minerals. It also becomes complex
because of the complicated solution generated by the formation of the dissolved salt-type minerals [1].

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The difficulties encountered in the separation of calcite type impurities from phosphate minerals have
been attributed to the similarities in the surface chemistry, electrokinetics and dissolution properties of
these minerals. Therefore carbonate and phosphate show identical responses to anionic and cationic
collectors [2].

Extensive investigation has been conducted on the treatment of natural phosphate ores containing
carbonates [3, 4]. The optimum pH value for carbonate flotation is one of the key parameters to maximize
carbonate recovery. Improvement on the selectivity in carbonate flotation also depends on the sense and
nature of phosphate depression.
This investigation is on the application of the flotation method to process the sample from the Lar
Mountain phosphate ore deposit, located in the southwest of Iran with about 81mt phosphate ore reserves.
It includes a low grade phosphate ore with a high content of carbonate.

Received by the editors September 25, 2006; final revised form March 4, 2007.
Corresponding author

www.SID.ir

448

M. Gharabaghi / et al.

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

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To process the Lar Mountain phosphate ore, a sample with a weight of 250kg was prepared. Its complete
chemical analysis is 10% P2O5, 42.1% CaO, 6.5% SiO2, 2.4% Al2O3, 3.1% FeO, 2.35% Fe2O3, 0.85%
K2O, 0.5% MgO, 0.08% Cl, and 29.87% LOI. Mineralogical studies were carried out using polished and
thin sections of size fractions samples. Obtained results indicated the presence of apatite, CaO, Al2O3,
Fe2O3 and SiO2, in which Carbonate was detected as the main gangue. Figure 1 shows a microscope
photograph of a thin section in a -0.850+0.600 mm size fraction. It also showed that the liberation size for
apatite was -150 microns, and to reach the size of -150 microns, the phosphate samples were ground in a
rod mill, and desliming was then performed using hydrocyclone to remove the fines at certain cut size (25
microns). Approximately 10% of slime was removed.

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Fig. 1. Photo of a thin section in -0.850+0.600 mm size fraction (85)

Table 1. The results obtained from single stage direct flotation
Single stage for phosphate flotation
Phosphate collector

P2O5 (%)

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

21.48

Armac T-Fuel oil

23.20

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

17.65

2-2

Armac T-Fuel oil

20.36

3-1

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

19.74

Armac T-Fuel oil

21.10

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

18.15

Armac T-Fuel oil

18.50

1-1

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Tests No.

Carbonate
depressant
CMC

1-2

Ar

2-1

Starch

Sodium silicate

3-2
4-1
4-2

Sodium carbonate

L.O.I (%)
15.62
13.88
20.55
16.26
17.90
15.80
19.36
19.78

P2O5 Recovery
(%)
73.51
75.16
77.91
76.70
68.62
70.13
78.20
79.54

3. EXPERIMENTAL
The flotation tests were performed in a 2-litre laboratory Denver flotation cell. In the direct flotation
approach, four flotation tests were carried out for the separation of phosphate from carbonate with both
Armac T-fuel oil (1.5 kg/t), and Oleic acid-fuel oil (2 kg/t) mixtures. The pH was adjusted at 9.2, the pulp
Iranian Journal of Science & Technology, Volume 31, Number B4

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449

Lar mountain phosphate ore processing,

conditioning time was 4 minutes, using sodium silica (0.3 kg/t) and then flotation was performed for 5
minutes. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.
Two stages of reverse flotation experiments were carried out. In the first stage carbonates were
floated in acidic media, using Oleic acid-fuel oil at pH=5.2. In the second stage phosphate were floated
from siliceous gangue, with Armac T-fuel oil and Oleic acid as the collector at pH=8.4 using NaOH as
modifier. H2SO4 and H3PO4 were used as phosphate depressants in the first stage. In addition, floating
siliceous gangue in natural pH and depressing phosphate minerals with CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose),
was another approach which was performed. The obtained results are shown in Tables 2 and 3.
Table 2. The results obtained from reverse flotation tests
First stage (carbonate flotation)
Oleic Acid-Fuel oil collector

Second stage
Phosphate flotation

Percent of:
L.O.I
P2O5

Percent of:
L.O.I
P2O5

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

28.34

1-2

Armac T-Fuel oil

29.46

2-1

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

28.73

Armac T-Fuel oil

26.90

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

31.75

Armac T-Fuel oil

30.40

Oleic Acid-fuel oil

27.55

Armac T-Fuel oil

26.33

Phosphate depressant

Phosphate collector

Tests
No.

H3PO4

H2SO4

pH=5.2

16.80

pH=5.2

21.34

15.42

22.06

5-1
5-2

Sodium
silicate

pH=5.2

17.92

19.84

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3-2

H2SO4 and
H3PO4

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2-2
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1-1

pH=5.2

14.25

24.18

11.5

10.87
11.1
12.3
9.18
10.1
11.7
12.5

P2O5 Rec.(%)
71.67
68.8
69.55
66.35
71.12
70.44
65.33
68.81

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Table 3. The results obtained from reverse flotation

First stage (carbonate flotation)
Oleic Acid-Fuel oil collector
Phosphate depressant

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Tests
No.

Second stage
Silica flotation

Percent of:
P2O5

L.O.I

Silica
collector

Percent of:
P2O5

L.O.I

H3PO4

pH=5.2

16.80

21.34

Amin

28.83

12.1

H2SO4

pH=5.2

15.42

22.06

Amin

27.68

12.25

H2SO4 and
H3PO4

pH=5.2

17.92

19.84

Amin

29.32

11.5

sodium silicate

pH=5.2

14.25

24.18

Amin

25.77

12.68

P2O5 Rec.(%)

74.25
75.63
77.29
71.29

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The direct flotation results showed that it has failed, as the grade of P2O5 in the products was up to 23.2%
with a 75.16% recovery (Table 1). The main reason for these poor results could be due to the precipitation
of calcium carbonate on the surface of the apatite. This surface change was probably responsible for
apatite depression and decreasing phosphate recovery. It should be mentioned that the depression of
August 2007

Iranian Journal of Science & Technology, Volume 31, Number B4

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450

M. Gharabaghi / et al.

5. CONCLUSIONS

apatite is related to its physico-chemical instability with the presence of calcite and pH decrease [5]. It
should be noticed that CaHPO4 becomes more stable than apatite in the flotation system. The formation of
water molecules in the aqueous CaHPO4 on the apatite surface can depress it in this process.
The first stage of reverse flotation was performed at pH=5.2, and H2SO4 and H3PO4 were used. The
best results were achieved using a mixture of H2SO4 and H3PO4 and Armac T and Oleic acid. By adding
H3PO4, phosphate ions from apatite are hindered owing to the selective chemisorptions of H2PO4- at the
surface of apatite with the subsequent formation of (CaH2PO4)2. Then the Oleic acid was not adsorbed on
the surface of apatite. At a pH of 5 to 6, the concentration of (CaH2PO4)2 will be less than CaH2PO4+ [5].
In reverse flotation, both approaches (two stages tests) yielded good results. With these approaches it is
possible to produce marketable phosphate concentrate. The results obtained from the first method in
reverse flotation (Table 2) are more convenient than those of the second method (Table 3). However the
best concentrate assay was 31.75% P2O5 with a 71.12% recovery.

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The sample of Lar Mountain Phosphate deposit with 10% P2O5 was studied to upgrade the phosphate
grade. The mineralogical studies showed apatite, CaO, Al2O3, Fe2O3 and SiO2. It also showed that the
liberation size for apatite was -150 micron. Two direct and reverse flotation approaches were applied to
this sample. In phosphate flotation (direct approach), the samples were conditioned with sodium silica,
oleic acid-fuel oil and Armac T-fuel oil, respectively, at pH=9.2. The best results obtained in this step
were 23.2% P2O5 and 75.16% recovery. In reverse flotation, at pH=5.2, two sets of tests were carried out,
which, in the first ones, carbonate was floated, then pulp was de-oiled, using H2SO4 and wash water.
Phosphate was then floated from siliceous gangue, after a brief conditioning step. The second stage was
performed with depressing phosphate and floating silica with Amines at natural pH. However the best
concentrate was from the second stage of reverse tests with 31.2% P2O5 and a 71.12% recovery.
REFERENCES

3.
4.

5.

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2.

El-Shall, H., Zhang, P. & Snow, R. (1996). Comparative analysis of dolomite/francolite flotation techniques.
Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, pp. 135-140.
Somasundaran, P. & Zhang, L. (1999). Role of Surface Chemistry of Phosphate in Its Beneficiationin the Book
entitled of "Beneficiation of Phosphates, Advances in Research and Practice," Edited by Zhang, P., El-Shall, H.,
and Wiegel, R., published by Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc, pp. 141-154.

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1.

El-Midani, A. (2004). Separating Dolomite from phosphate rock by reactive flotation: Fundamental and
application. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Florida.
Lawendy, T. A. B. & McClellan, G. H. (1993). Flotation of Dolomitic and calcerous phosphate ores. in the
Book entitled of The beneficiation of phosphate, theory and practice, Edited by El-Shall, H., Moudgil, B.M.,
Wiegel, R., SME pub., pp231-243.
Elgillani, D. A. & Abouzeid, A. Z. M. (1993). Flotation of carbonate from phosphate ores in acidic media.
International Journal of Mineral Processing, Vol. 38, No. 3-4, pp. 235-256.

Iranian Journal of Science & Technology, Volume 31, Number B4

August 2007

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