Online ISSN: 2515-8260

EXTRACTION OF A FINELY DISPERSED LOWGRADE IRON ORE BY FROTH FLOTATION

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K.Prasad Babu1 , Mohammed Aminuddin2

Abstract

The gradual depletion of high-grade iron ores due to extensive utilization has necessitated the exploitation of low-grade iron ore reserves of India. Extraction of low-grade iron ore is required to make it suitable for industrial usage. The low-grade iron ore mined from Gua mines contains 57.6% Fe. Mineralogical Studies revealed that liberation of gangue from iron-bearing mineral at coarser sizes is limited, thereby necessitating the samples to be ground to finer sizes below 150 microns for better liberation. The ground material is de-slimed using a hydrocyclone and the underflow product was subjected to reverse flotation. In the flotation experimentation, the main variables investigated were collector dosage, pH, per cent solids, depressant concentration and frother concentration. Results of these studies show that froth flotation can be used for the beneficiation of low-grade iron ore to produce a concentrate suitable as pellet feed for iron making.

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