Enrichment of cobaltite bearing magnetite-rich ore with flotation method: Effect of anionic sulfhydryl collectors at different pHs

Abstract

The concentration of sulfide minerals can be achieved through various methods, and one such method is flotation. In the case of cobaltite, a mineral composed of cobalt sulfoarsenide, its ability to float is attributed to the presence of sulfur within its lattice structure. Cobalt, a versatile element with historical applications in dyeing, has gained strategic importance in recent times due to its utilization in alloys and lithium batteries. However, the scarcity of cobaltite in the Earth's crust has limited the extent of research conducted on its flotation. Nonetheless, previous studies have indicated that under specific conditions, cobaltite can indeed be floated. The objective of this particular study was to separate cobaltite minerals from magnetite and other associated minerals through the process of flotation. Initially, preliminary tests were conducted using Minitab software and Taguchi analysis. These tests revealed that the highest recovery rate, approximately 71%, was achieved at acidic pH levels (pH=4) using PAX as the collector. Subsequent additional tests were carried out, resulting in a recovery rate of 75% and a grade of 22.3%. One of the significant findings of this study was the influence of pH on the recovery of cobaltite when sulfhydryl collectors were employed. It was observed that cobaltite exhibited a considerably low recovery rate when the pH approached neutral or alkaline values.

Keywords

• enrichment
• cobalt
• cobaltite
• flotation
• sulfhydryl collectors