INFLUÊNCIA DO MÉTODO DE SAPONIFICAÇÃO NA MICROFLOTAÇÃO DE APATITA UTILIZANDO ÓLEO DA CASTANHA DA MACAÚBA

Abstract

Among the phosphorus bearing minerals, the apatite group is the main source of the phosphate used as input in the industrial fertilizers manufacture. Macaúba (Acrocomia Aculeata) is a tree, which naturally occurs in Brazilian’s savanna and contains high concentrations of fatty acids in its nuts (36.2%). The most abundant fatty acids in the nuts are lauric acid (39.7%) and oleic acid (25.8%). The present study sought to demonstrate, through microflotation experiments conducted in Hallimond tube, the potential use of macaúba oil in the flotation of apatite. The tests were performed with 1 g of high purity apatite, in the particle size range of -100+150 # (-150+106 µm) at pH levels of 8, 9, and 10 g and concentrations of the collector of 2.5