Research of nanobubbles enhanced reverse anionic flotation of a midlow grade phosphate ore

Abstract

The reverse anionic flotation is commonly used to upgrade the mid-low grade phosphate ore in China. The mineral characterization of raw ore shows that carbonate and phosphate minerals combined with fine intergrowth, difficulty in upgrading. Flotation using nanobubbles (NBs) can significantly enhance the flotation efficiency of fine particles of minerals. To research the effect of NBs on the flotation process of this phosphate ore, two flotation tests with and without NBs were compared. The results show that the MgO removal had an increment of 10% in the case of NBs flotation versus conventional flotation in the approximate grade and recovery of P2O5. The foam product of NBs flotation had smaller dimensions than the conventional flotation. NBs enhanced the contact angle on dolomite surface from 45.8 ° to 64.5 °, and increases the d50 of dolomite from 20.49 μm to 30.43 μm