Abstract

With the depleting reserves of high-grade iron ore in the world, froth flotation has become increasingly important to process intermediate- and low-grade iron ore in an attempt to meet the rapidly growing demand on the international market. In over half a century's practice in the iron ore industry, froth flotation has been established as an efficient method to remove impurities fro m iron ore. In this chapter, the industrial practice and fundamental research activities of iron ore flotation are reviewed. The latest innovations in iron ore flotation at major iron ore operations around the world are introduced. The development of flotation routes fro m direct an ionic flotation to reverse cationic flotation, and the rising of reverse anionic flotation in China in recent years is discussed. Although direct anionic flotation was the first flotation route employed in the iron ore industry, it was later largely replaced by the more efficient reverse cationic flotation route. The application of reverse anionic flotation in Ch ina in recent years effectively overcomes some flaws of reverse cationic flotation such as high reagent cost and high metal loss in desliming. The reagents used in iron ore flotation, including starch, amines and fatty acids, and the mechanisms of their interactions with the minerals in iron ore are examined. The p resence of some specific impurities other than quartz in iron ore, such as alu mina containing minerals, i.e. kaolinite and gibbsite, and phosphorous, is detrimental and attracts penalties. The removal of these specific impurit ies has received increasing attention in the iron ore industry. The industrial pract ice and latest research activities in this area are closely reviewed.

Highlights

  • With the depleting reserves of high-grade iron ore in the world, various beneficiation methods have been employed to process intermediate- and low-grade iron ore in an attempt to meet the rapid ly growing demand

  • The history of iron ore flotation started with direct flotation of iron o xides using anionic collectors such as petroleum sulphonate, fatty acids and hydroxamates

  • The mineralogy of phosphorus in iron ore depends on the type of iron minerals

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Summary

Introduction

With the depleting reserves of high-grade iron ore in the world, various beneficiation methods have been employed to process intermediate- and low-grade iron ore in an attempt to meet the rapid ly growing demand. The current trend in the steel industry is in favour of increased direct reduction coupled with electric furnace production which requires iron ore containing less than 2% SiO2. Iron ore often contains a few percent SiO2, even after repeated magnetic or hydraulic separation, due to the presence of locked siliceous gangue minerals. To further upgrade the concentrate, froth flotation has been established as an efficient method to remove impurities fro m iron ore in half a century’s practice around the world. In the iron ore industry, froth flotation is either used as a primary method for concentrating iron ores, such as Cleveland-Cliffs’ operations in Mich igan, Un ited States, or in co mbination with magnetic separation, wh ich has become a popular pract ice in M innesota, United States[1]

Iron Ore Flotation Routes
Removal of Specific Impurities in Iron Ore Flotation
Alumi na Removal
Phosphorus Removal
Reverse Ani onic Flotation
Column Flotation
Findings
Summary
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