Abstract:
There is provided methods for separating a target material from a raw material by mixing the raw material with water to form a slurry, adding a collector compound to the slurry to modify a relative hydrophobicity of a surface of the target material, adding a facilitator compound to enhance the modification of the relative hydrophobicity of the surface, and forming a froth including a concentrate of the target material. Disclosed methods may also include adding a facilitator compound to a raw material slurry that has been treated with a collector compound and a reagent for neutralizing the collector compound.
Abstract:
Processes for enriching a desired mineral from an ore comprising the desired mineral and gangue, are provided, wherein the process comprises carrying out a flotation process in the presence of one or more chelating agents, one or more collecting agents, one or more types of multivalent metal ions, and optionally, one or more depressants, in a solution, wherein the one or more chelating agents are capable, alone or as a group of compounds, of sequestering a metal or metal ion in the form of a metal-chelating agent complex that remains at least partially soluble in the solution.
Abstract:
This invention relates to an composition, comprising A) at least one quaternary ammonium compound which is a collector for the reverse flotation of magnesium minerals from calcium carbonate B) at least one antifoam agent C) a solvent and its use in the reverse flotation of calcium carbonate.
Abstract:
A method of producing enhanced coal combustion ash for use in pozzolanic applications or cement manufacture, in which the enhanced combustion ash has lower mercury content. A slurry is formed of the combustion ash and water and is subjected to froth flotation to form a mercury-enriched ash slurry and a mercury-depleted ash slurry. The product mercury-depleted ash slurry is isolated and may optionally be dried. The combustion ash may be pulverized prior to being used to form the slurry, reducing its mean particle size. The mercury-depleted combustion ash product has reduced levels of mercury and ammonia, and reduced particle size.
Abstract:
The present invention involves a multifunctional frothing agent with collector and frothing functions for frothing flotation processes to recover valuable metals from minerals, based on organic residues selected from biosolids from wastewater treatment plants, organic sludge from biogas production systems, compost hydrosoluble organic matter or other similar biologically treated or stabilized organic in aerobic or anaerobic conditions, industrial sludge from industrial organic liquid waste treatments, hydrosoluble organic matter from vegetal peat, manure, dung or a combination of two or more of these, or a fraction of them, representing between 35% and 98% organic matter, apparent density between 0.2 and 0.8 g/mL, a pH between 6.0 and 8.5, an electrical conductivity between 4.0 and 15 mS/cm. It also involves the process of the multifunctional collector and frothing agent recovery (collector and frothing agent) and the frothing flotation process that uses the multifunctional agent disclosed in this investigation.
Abstract:
A process for decontaminating a medium polluted with metals and hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) includes providing an acidic slurry of water, acid, chloride salt, surfactant, and the polluted medium. Flotation is preformed on the acidic slurry to form a HOC-rich froth and an HOC-depleted slurry and the froth is recovered. The slurry is separated to obtain a treated solid and a liquid effluent rich in metallic ions. Preferably, the process also includes recuperating the metals by chemical precipitation and/or electrodeposition to produce a treated solution. Also provided are a decontaminant having an acid, a chloride salt, and a surfactant as well as a chemical kit for decontaminating the polluted medium including the decontaminant in which the acid, chloride salt and surfactant can be mixed with polluted medium in the presence of water before removing at least a portion of the metals and HOC from the polluted medium.
Abstract:
The invention provides a flotation process which includes the steps of providing a flotation mixture containing mineral values to be recovered and adding an activator to the flotation mixture, which activator may comprise a metal complex formed by a coordinating metal ion and a ligand. A particular aspect of the invention relates to the use of the metal complexes as activators. These complexes are stable over a wide pH range, which is not the case with other inorganic compounds of which the applicant is aware, such as zinc sulphate, copper sulphate and manganese sulphate. The ligand may have the structure R—(X)n, in which X may be selected from amines, carboxyls, phosphonates and sulphonates; R may be an organic group; and n may be 1 to 4. The ligand may be selected to be a multidentate ligand. The invention extends to an activator for use in a flotation process.
Abstract:
A process for separating minerals of different mineralogical character. A milled slurry or flotation concentrate is subjected to a first conditioning step (20) followed by a first flotation step (30) followed by a second conditioning step (50) followed by a second flotation step (60). One of the conditioning steps is with an oxidising gas, the other of the conditioning steps being with a non-oxidising gas and an oxidisable surface modifying reagent. The process allows separation of mixtures of valuable minerals by tailoring both the first and second conditioning steps and first and second flotation steps to particular mixed mineral ores.
Abstract:
A process for improving the efficiency of coal dewatering and deashing uses complexing agents such as sodium gluconate in alkaline solution to form soluble compounds with cations such as Al.sup.+3, Fe.sup.+3, Mg.sup.+2, and Ca.sup.+2. The formation of such compounds reduces the adsorption and/or desorbs clay slimes from the coal surface.
Abstract:
A novel flotation aid for use in the flotation removal of contaminates or impurities from mineral slurries. The flotation aid is an alkali aluminate compound. The flotation aid may be incorporated into a flotation reagent system that includes a chemical collector.