Collector composition for beneficiating carbonaceous phosphate ores.

Abstract

The invention is related to a collector composition for the beneficiation of phosphate ores, particularly those with high content of carbonate impurities. The collector may be a combination of chemicals, comprising: (1 ) any kind of fatty acids, e.g., conventional fatty acid, saponified fatty acid, or modified fatty acid; (2) chemicals with sulfonate or sulfate groups, such as dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA) or its salt, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium lauryl sulfate (SIS), sodium coco sulfate (SCS), etc.; (3) phosphorous-bearing inorganic acids or salts, such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), sodium hexametaphosphate (SFMP), trisodium phosphate (TSP), Tetrasodiumpyrophosphate (TSPP), etc.; (4) alkoxylated alcohols, preferably ethoxylated C8-C24 linear or branched fatty alcohols with a degree of ethoxylation higher than five; and (5) modifier compositions selected from one or more of the modifier agents such as insoluble oils, silicones, fatty alcohols, esters, glycols, etc. With the invented collector, the separation selectivity and phosphate recovery are significantly improved with no unrestrained foam, especially in the presence of excessive fine particles.