Phosphate Froth Flotation Using Sesame Oil as a Collector

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt.

2 Egyptian Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

3 Egyptian Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt

4 King Faisal University, K.S.A

Abstract

Sedimentary phosphate deposits are the most important phosphorus source in Egypt. Most of these deposits having
complex chemical and mineralogical compositions. The beneficiation of phosphate deposits containing carbonate
and silicate gangues by conventional techniques such as physical separation methods or flotation is very difficult due
to the similarities in physico-chemical properties of constituent minerals present in the system. The low-grade
sedimentary phosphate deposits, abundant in silicate and carbonate gangue minerals, exhibits a poor processability.
Sesame oil has been proved to be an efficient collector for achieving ambient temperature flotation of the sedimentary
phosphate deposits used in this study, instead of high-cost reagents, which are usually made abroad. The direct froth
flotation was investigated to technique has been adopted to upgrade the East Sebaiya phosphate deposits to ascertain
the excellent collecting performance of sesame oil which would impart a good level of hydrophobicity to calcite.
Prior to flotation experiments, a feed flotation was prepared by washing and desliming operations to eliminate fine
materials. In flotation experiments, the effect of the parameters, collector (sesame oil) quantity, silica and calcite
depressor (cornstarch) quantity, particle size, pH of the pulp, air superficial velocity, pulp temperature and flotation
time were investigated. Consequently, a required high quality of phosphate concentrates containing 32.77% P2O5 was
obtained, with a recovery of 94.7% from a feed sample containing about 23.48% P2O5 and 44.84% CaO. Scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) of the flotation products confirmed that the majority of silicate and carbonate gangues
were effectively removed from the concentrate.

Keywords

Journal of Basic and Environmental Sciences
Volume 7, Issue 2
April 2020
Pages 106-123

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