Upgrade of SLon concentrate with the use of froth flotation on a typical African iron ore

Abstract

This study focus on the upgrading of SLon concentrates, of a complex African iron ore, with the aid of flotation. Mineralogical studies indicated that the +38µm material was not liberated and required milling prior to flotation. The-38µm material was well liberated and was close to the required product specification, with a Fe content of 99.7% of the target grade. The proposed beneficiation process includes de-sliming (38µm) of the SLon concentrate and milling of the +38µm material, followed by froth flotation. The new proposed flow diagram showed that the SLon concentrate of this African iron ore can successfully be upgraded.

Mineralogical Characterization Applied to Iron Ore Tailings from the Desliming Stage with Emphasis on Quantitative Electron Microscopy (Qem)

“…If, in addition to the conventional information obtained, there is sufficient mineralogical information on the tailings, especially in relation to the presence of harmful minerals and the release of the minerals of interest, more accurate estimates regarding the mass recovery of the concentration process become viable. The knowledge of the characteristics of the tailings offers the possibility of using alternative routes for the recovery of hematite, through magnetic concentration, associated with grinding, followed by flotation, as mentioned in the works [11][12][13] .…”