Fluorite Barite Ore Separation via Segmented Flotation and Color Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for separating low-grade fluorite barite paragenic ores result in low recovery rates and poor quality acid-grade fluorite concentrates, with significant environmental impact due to unrecoverable flotation backwater and high reagent usage.
Innovation Solution
A method involving crushing, classification, jigging gravity separation, color sorting, and flotation with a single reagent regimen to produce high-quality acid-grade fluorite and barite concentrates, while recycling flotation backwater by maintaining a weakly acidic pH and using acidized water glass, fulvic acid, and sodium naphthalene sulfonate as inhibitors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional flotation process is used to separate fluorite and barite, then fluorite concentrates can be obtained, but the grade is low (below acid grade) and recovery rate is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the flotation process into distinct stages: roughing stage for bulk separation and clearing stage for high-grade concentration. This segmentation allows each stage to optimize for its specific function, achieving both high recovery in roughing and high grade in clearing, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically changes multiple parameters including pH value (adjusting from alkaline to acidic conditions), reagent types and dosages, and flotation stage conditions. These parameter changes enable the process to achieve both high recovery rate in alkaline roughing and high grade in acidic clearing, resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple flotation reagents are used to separate fluorite and barite, then separation can be achieved, but flotation backwater cannot be recycled causing environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from alkaline flotation conditions to acidic flotation conditions using sulfuric acid. This parameter change is crucial because acidic conditions allow for the use of fewer reagents and enable backwater recycling, thereby reducing environmental pollution while maintaining effective mineral separation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes harmful alkaline reagents from the flotation process and replaces them with acidic conditions and selective inhibitors. This extraction of harmful substances enables backwater recycling and eliminates environmental pollution while maintaining separation effectiveness through the use of acidized water glass and other targeted inhibitors.
3Productivity
If bulk flotation under alkaline conditions is used, then fluorite and barite can be floated together, but serious mutual inclusion occurs reducing product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flotation process into roughing and clearing stages with different pH conditions. The roughing stage uses alkaline conditions for efficient bulk flotation, while the clearing stage uses acidic conditions for high-purity separation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing each stage to optimize for its specific goal without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by performing clearing flotation in acidic conditions rather than maintaining alkaline conditions throughout. This inversion allows the clearing stage to achieve high purity separation by suppressing barite flotation and selectively floating fluorite, thereby resolving the mutual inclusion problem while maintaining overall productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly improves the grade of fluorite concentrates to ≥98% CaF2, reduces reagent usage, and enables the recycling of flotation backwater, enhancing both the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the process.
Implementation Method 1
performing jigging gravity separation on the medium-grained ore and the coarse-grained ore to obtain barite concentrates I and jigging tailings
Implementation Method 2
performing flotation on the feeding materials in flotation to obtain fluorite concentrates and flotation tailings
Data Source
AI summary
A method for separating a calcite-rich low-grade fluorite barite paragenic ore, includes the following steps: S1, crushing; S2, performing classification on a crushed ore to obtain a fine-grained ore, a medium-grained ore and a coarse-grained ore; S3, performing jigging gravity separation on the medium-grained ore and the coarse-grained ore to obtain first barite concentrates and jigging tailings; S4, performing color sorting on the jigging tailings to obtain calcite minerals and color sorting tailings; S5, combining the fine-grained ore and the color sorting tailings, and then performing ore grinding to obtain feeding materials in flotation; S6, performing flotation on the feeding materials in flotation to obtain fluorite concentrates and flotation tailings; S7, performing chute gravity separation on the flotation tailings to obtain second barite concentrates and chute tailings. The method achieves an effect of obtaining high-quality acid-grade fluorite concentrates (CaF2≥98%).