Flotation Separation Mechanism And Technology Of Ilmenite And Silicon Gangue Minerals Of Hongge

The nation strategic resources protection of the Hongge area possesses the largest deposits of titanium resource in Panxi and the typical ore is onkilonite vanadium-titanium magnetite ore. The effect of ilmenite flotation of gangue minerals are titanaugite and olivine（forsterite）. The gangue minerals are more complex, thus making it difficult to separation, meanwhile the researches on flotation separation mechanism and technology have rarely been investigated than the gabbro ore. The surface properties and flotation behaviors of ilmenite, titanaugite and forsterite, the mechanism of flotation separation of such minerals and the actual ore flotation separation were studied in this paper. The main contents and conclusions of this paper are as follows:（1） The surface property differences and the flotation behaviors of mineralsThe surface component, the surface potential and the flotation behaviors of ilmenite, titanaugite and forsterite were investigated. On this basis, the artificially mixed minerals flotation experiments were investigated.The high contents of Ti and Fe on the ilmenite surface, that of Ca and Mg on the titanaugite and forsterite surface, and the same elements such as Fe, Ca and Mg exist on the minerals surface. In the pure water, the point of zero charges of ilmenite, titanaugite and forsterite are located at p H 5.8, 3.8, and 2.8, respectively.Sodium oleate（NaOL） possesses good selectivity to flotation separation of such minerals, the collector performance of ilmenite is weak. Sodium dodecyl sulfate（SDS） and sodium lauryl sulfate（SLS） possess good collector performance, the selectivity of ilmenite is weak. Sodium silicate has the selective depressant action to flotation separation of ilmenite using NaOL as the collector. Sodium hexametaphosphate and oxalic acid have certain depressant action, the depressant action of CMC is weak. The best separation effect of ilmenite using the combination collector of NaOL and SLS（mole ratio 4:1） as the collector. The results of the artificially mixed minerals flotation test indicate that the ilmenite concentrate with the grade of 31.07% and recovery of 61.53% of TiO₂ was obtained using the combination collector of NaOL and SLS and it possesses better flotation index than using NaOL or SLS as the collector alone.（2） The action mechanism of minerals and flotation reagentsThe action mechanism of NaOL, sodium silicate and minerals, the synergistic action of the combination collector were investigated through modern analysis and testing technology and the theory of solution chemistry of flotation.Under acidic and alkaline conditions, the active points of NaOL reacted with ilmenite are Fe and Mg, respectively; the active points of NaOL reacted with titanaugite are both Ca and Mg; the active points of NaOL reacted with forsterite are both Mg. The combination collector of NaOL and SLS can be adsorbed on the ilmenite, titanaugite and forsterite surface through chemical adsorption and physical adsorption and enhanced the hydrophobicity of mineral surface. NaOL is mainly adsorbed on the mineral surface by chemical adsorption and SLS is mainly adsorbed on the mineral surface by physical adsorption.Under acidic condition, the adsorption capacity of sodium silicate and ilmenite is weak, the adsorption capacity of sodium silicate and titanaugite and forsterite is strong. Sodium silicate was adsorbed on the titanaugite and forsterite surface, which hindered the approach of NaOL to the surface and reduced the adsorption of NaOL on the titanaugite and forsterite surface.（3） The flotation separation technology of the actual oreThe flotation separation technology of the actual ore of ilmenite was investigated through the properties of the actual ore.The results of the actual ore flotation test（the grade of 16.26% TiO₂） indicate that the ilmenite concentrate with the grade of 46.94% and recovery of 53.87% of TiO₂ was obtained using MOH-1 as the collector and the ilmenite concentrate with the grade of 47.02% and recovery of 49.02% of TiO₂ was obtained using the combination collector of NaOL and SLS through the closed circuit experiment of “one roughing, one scavenging and four cleanings”. The production quality inspection indicates that the content of Mg O in the ilmenite concentrate is relatively high because of the separation of olivine is difficult to achieve and affected the flotation index of the ilmenite concentrate.