Potash flotation practice for carnallite resources in the Qinghai Province, PRC

• Processing of carnallite ore in Qinghai Province, China.
• Discussion of two flotation technologies used for potash recovery.
• Reverse flotation of NaCl with alkyl morpholines.

Two potash plants at the Qarhan Salt Lake in Qinghai Province, Peoples Republic of China, were visited in July 2012 to discuss processing strategies, particularly flotation technology. The first plant, operated by Qinghai Avic Resources Co., Ltd., in Mahai, is using the traditional KCl flotation from NaCl with an amine as collector after selective decomposition of carnallite (KCl.MgCl2⋅6H2O). The second plant is operated by the Qinghai Salt Lake Group in Geermu where NaCl is floated from carnallite with an alkyl-morpholine as collector prior to carnallite decomposition for KCl production. These two major potash flotation technologies being used in the Qinghai Province of the Peoples Republic of China are reviewed and discussed with respect to recent research findings regarding the use of alkyl-morpholine collectors in reverse flotation of NaCl from carnallite.