Two-stage shear flocculation for enrichment of fine boron ore containing colemanite

• The enrichment of fine boron ore containing colemanite was investigated.
• Shear flocculation, two-stage shear flocculation were used.
• Column flotation and floc flotation techniques were also used.
• The highest grade of the colemanite concentrate was obtained with two-stage shear flocculation.

The enrichment of fine boron ore containing colemanite mineral was investigated using shear flocculation, two-stage shear flocculation, column flotation and floc flotation techniques. In these fine particle processing methods, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Aero 801 were used as surfactant for colemanite. Also, sodium pyrophosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate were employed to improve the selectivity of the processes. The highest grade of the colemanite concentrate was obtained with two-stage shear flocculation method using Aero 801 and sodium hexametaphosphate. Under the optimum conditions, a concentrate of 38.65% B2O3 could be recovered by two-stage shear flocculation from the ore containing 26.98% B2O3.

The grades of the concentrates recovered with shear flocculation and particularly two-stage shear flocculation techniques are higher than those obtained with other methods. The highest values of B2O3 grade were provided by shear flocculation and two-stage shear flocculation using 2 g/dm3 concentrations of sodium hexametaphosphate.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide