Three factors in the flotation of skarn tungsten ore

The ore body of skarn-type tungsten ore is lens-like and layer-like with complex morphology. Common minerals in the ore include scheelite, wolframite, cassiterite, molybdenite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, siderite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, magnetite and fluorite. The ore grade of different deposits varies greatly and the scale gap is large.

Flotation recovery of skarn-type tungsten ore often has problems such as difficult recovery and separation and poor recovery effect. This article will discuss the three major factors affecting the recovery of skarn-type tungsten ore and teach you how to solve the flotation problem of skarn-type tungsten ore.

1. pH value of ore pulp

The effect of pH value on the flotation of skarn-type tungsten ore pH value is an important factor affecting the flotation of skarn-type tungsten ore, especially when there are many associated calcium-containing minerals. Common associated calcium-containing minerals include fluorite, calcite, etc. When using fatty acid collectors, these minerals are often recovered together with tungsten ore, causing separation difficulties.

To address this problem, caustic soda, lime, and sodium carbonate can be used as adjusters to adjust the slurry to an appropriate pH value. Using water glass as a depressant can reduce the recovery of fluorite and calcite in the concentrate. The pH value is preferably 10-11, and sodium carbonate has a better effect as a pH adjuster.

2. Selection of depressants

The effect of depressants on the flotation of skarn-type tungsten ores In the flotation of skarn-type tungsten ores, water glass, tannin extract, etc. are often used as the main depressants. Water glass mainly inhibits silicon, fluorite. Calcite, etc., carbonates need to add sodium hexametaphosphate, tannin extract, etc. to inhibit.

The amount of depressant has a great influence on the inhibitory effect of calcium-containing minerals. Insufficient depressant dosage will lead to incomplete desorption of collectors on the surface of gangue minerals, affecting the sorting effect, while excessive dosage will also inhibit the recovery of tungsten minerals.

In actual production, the amount of depressant should be determined by targeted flotation tests.

3. Selection of collectors

The influence of collectors on the flotation of skarn-type tungsten ores Since there are many associated minerals in the selected ore, and some of them are close to the flotation properties of tungsten ores, the type and dosage of the appropriate collector are particularly critical. Oxidized paraffin soap is a traditional collector for skarn-type tungsten ores, which has good selectivity for tungsten minerals, but weak collection power.

Oleic acid has good collection ability for tungsten minerals, but it also causes the floating of calcium-containing gangue minerals. In order to obtain qualified products, the selection of collectors often selects a combination of oxidized paraffin soap, oleic acid, sodium salt of fatty acids and other collectors to ensure the recovery effect while avoiding the floating of associated minerals. The determination of its dosage needs to be determined by experiments based on the composition of the ore deposit.

Above we introduced three factors that affect the flotation of skarn-type tungsten ores. In actual production, the ore deposits vary greatly and the recovery conditions are different. Targeted mineral processing tests should be carried out according to the composition and characteristics of the ore deposits, and comprehensive recovery should be carried out under reasonable conditions.