Optimization test of plate-like cobalt-rich crust flotation

Cobalt-rich crusts is another deep-sea mineral resources following the manganese nodules are found in human, it is grown on the slopes of the sea depths of 500-3000m hard bedrock "shell-like" deposits, because of its rich cobalt named. It is estimated that the seabed is 6.35 million km ² covered by cobalt crusts and has a thickness of 0-20 cm. It is plate-shaped, tuberculous and gravel, and can produce 1 billion tons of cobalt. At present, cobalt is mainly produced in Zaire, Zambia, Russia, Australia and Canada. In 2008, the world's annual cobalt consumption was 56,159 tons, of which China consumed 15550 tons, and increased at a faster rate. Therefore, developed countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, Russia, and France, as well as developing countries such as China and South Korea, have conducted exploration, mining, and metallurgical recovery tests on the Ocean Cobalt Minerals.

In the process of sampling cobalt-rich crusts, the bedrock and gangue minerals attached to a large number of cobalt-rich crusts are inevitably entrapped, resulting in the depletion of the collected cobalt-rich crust samples, just like the surrounding rock mining process entrains some surrounding rocks. And the gangue minerals cause the ore to be depleted. The direct smelting of the ore, wherein the cobalt-rich crusts has recovered when metal element, a large amount of cobalt-rich crusts inclusions in rock minerals and gangue divalent metal not only increases the amount of the smelting process, increase the cost of smelting, while the pulse bedrock Stone minerals will adsorb valuable metals, thereby reducing the recovery rate of valuable metals. In order to solve these problems, the cobalt-rich crust can be extracted by the beneficiation preconcentration method, and the bedrock gangue is removed. This paper mainly introduces the flotation test research of platy cobalt-rich crusts.

I. Results of chemical analysis of cobalt-rich crusts

The cobalt in the cobalt-rich crust is mainly adsorbed on the colloidal precipitate of hydroxide, hydrated oxide and silicate in the adsorption state. The chemical analysis results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 % of chemical analysis results of platy cobalt-rich crusts

Second, mineral processing technology research

The verification test results show that the process flow developed during the “Tenth Five-Year Plan” period has strong adaptability. Under the condition of grinding fineness -74μm accounting for 65%, the flotation index is the best, and the recovery rates of cobalt and manganese are above 94%. Since the ocean resources are scarce resources, in order to further improve the recovery rate of cobalt and manganese, the original pharmaceutical system has been optimized.

(1) Selection of collectors

1. Collector test

The ore concentration test was carried out under the conditions of -74μm and 65%. The experiment mainly studied the flotation characteristics of plate-like cobalt-rich crusts with SHS, oleic acid, TL and petroleum sodium sulfonate as collectors. The process is shown in Figure 1, and the test results are shown in Figure 2. It can be seen from the test results that when using SHS as a collector, the selectivity to cobalt-rich crusts is strong. When TL is used as a collector, the ability to capture cobalt-rich crusts is stronger. A certain proportion of the mixed collector is subjected to a flotation test in order to exert synergistic effects of the medicament and improve the flotation index.

2. Compound collector ratio test

The total dosage of the composite collector is 8000g/t, and the TL and SHS ratio test is carried out. The serial number of the test and the dosage of the two collectors TL and SHS (g/t) are: No. 1, 0, 8000; No. 2 , 2000, 6000; No. 3, 4000, 4000; No. 4, 6000, 2000; No. 5, 8000, 0. The test procedure is shown in Figure 1, and the test results are shown in Figure 3. It can be seen from the test results that when the ratio of TL to SHS is 3:1, the flotation index is better. Therefore, the ratio of YS to SHS of the composite collector is 3:1. The following tests are carried out using the ratio.

1-cobalt grade; 2-manganese grade; 3-cobalt recovery; 4-manganese recovery;

(2) Dispersant CN dosage test

When the fineness of grinding -74μm accounts for 65%, the dosage of inhibitor TH is 2000g/t, the amount of compound collector is 8000g/t, the dosage of auxiliary collector BK is 1500g/t, and the dosage of pine alcohol is 300g/t. The dispersant CN dosage test is carried out. The test procedure is shown in Figure 1. The test results are shown in Figure 4. It can be seen from the test results that as the amount of CN increases, the flotation index deteriorates, so it is determined that the dispersant CN is not added.

(III) Inhibitor TH dosage test

When the grinding fineness -74μm accounts for 65%, the inhibitor TH dosage test is carried out under the condition of 8000g/t of composite collector, 1500g/t of auxiliary collector BK and 300g/t of pine alcohol oil. The process is shown in Figure 1, and the test results are shown in Figure 5. It can be seen from the test results that with the increase of TH dosage, the flotation index is obviously improved. When the TH dosage is 2000 sand, the recovery rate of cobalt and manganese is reduced, so the TH dosage is determined to be 2000g/t.

(4) Compound harvesting test

When the grinding fineness -74μm accounts for 65%, the compound collector dosage test is carried out under the condition of the inhibitor TH dosage of 2000g/t, the auxiliary collector BK dosage of 1500g/t, and the pine alcohol oil dosage of 300g/t. The process is shown in Figure 1, and the test results are shown in Figure 6. It can be seen from the test results that as the amount of composite collector increases, the recovery rate of cobalt and manganese increases. After the amount of composite collector is 6000g/t, the recovery of cobalt and manganese does not change, so the amount of composite collector is determined. It is 6000g/t.

(5) Open circuit test

On the basis of the best parameters determined by the conditional test, the flotation open circuit test is carried out. The test flow is shown in Figure 7, and the test results are shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Open circuit test results%

(6) Closed circuit test

The closed-loop test flotation process of the plate-like cobalt-rich crust is shown in Figure 8. The test results are shown in Table 3. It can be seen from the test results that the optimized cobalt flotation process is used to treat the plate-like cobalt-rich crust, and the recovery rate of cobalt and manganese is high, and the bedrock gangue with a yield of 30.30% can be discarded.

Table 3 % of closed circuit test results

Third, the conclusion

(1) The recovery rate of cobalt and manganese in the cobalt-rich crust concentrate obtained by the optimized process is above 96%.

(2) The flotation process has few types of chemicals and is easy to operate.

(3) The research results provide technical support for the next industrial production.

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