A Study of the Rejects Recovery in a Column Flotation

Performing of the flotation process in columns started in the year 1981. Since then, this new flotation technique became usual in many countries, including Brazil, where nowadays flotation columns are installed in plants for iron and phosphate ore concentration. Sees the need of a rational use of the phosphate of Barreiro, Araxá (MG), whose medium useful life is esteemed in 30 years, Federal University of Uberlândia in partnership with Bunge Fertilizers looks for in this work to develop conditions for use of the rejects of the flotation process. A laboratory flotation column was operated in discontinuous mode in order to examine the mixture of two different types of collectors, ore conditioning time and reagents dosages. Contents between 22 and 29 % P2O5 were obtained and Apatite recovery varied in the range of 18 to 58 wt %. The results shows that the use of mixture of the synthetic reagent KE and the rice oil soap provided an increase considerable in the selectivity of the concentrate.