This paper describes flotation test work conducted over the past several years at the Mines Branch, Ottawa, on the radioactive quartz-pebble conglomerate ores of the Elliot Lake area of Ontario. The purpose of this work has been to produce a uranium flotation concentrate for subsequent leaching operations. The results of earlier investigations are summarized and correlated with the results of mineralogical studies of the ores and flotation products. The results of recent pilot-plant investigations by flotation, as well as by gravity concentration followed by flotation of the gravity tailings, are given. The principal collector used for uranium flotation was a tall oil fatty acid, and the indicated total cost of all reagents ranged from 21 to 31 cents per ton of ore treated

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The method and results of a series of flotation tests on several Elliot Lake uranium ores are given. The reagents used were NaOH and Na2SiO3 in a desliming step, and tall oil fatty acid, Acintol FA-1 or FA-2, was used as collector. The average recovery obtained was 92% in about 55% of the weight. The leach feed was up-graded from 0. 1 to about 0. 2% U308. The cost of the flotation reagents would be 25 to 30 cents per ton. A saving of about 20 cents per lb of uranium would be effected.

This report describes investigations using the column flotation cell on an Elliot Lake ore sample. Results obtained from conducting exploratory tests followed by a statistically designed series of tests involving six operating variables using a two-inch-diameter column cell are given. On deslimed uranium ore, a recovery of 90 per cent with a concentration ratio of 3.0 was obtained. These results are similar to those obtained using conventional cells in previous studies. On un-deslimed ore, recoveries in the order of 80 per cent, and concentration ratios ranging from 4.7 to 8.3 were made. These concentration ratios are higher than can be obtained by conventional cells, but the recoveries are lower.

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