FLOTATION OF BERTRANDITE AND PHENACITE FROM MOUNT WHEELER, NEV., BERYLLIUM ORE

Technical Report · Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4819196

Havens, R; Nissen, W I; Rosenbaum, J B

A flotation procedure was devised for beneficiating beryllium ores that contain the beryllium minerals bertrandite and phenacite in a complex association with calcite, fluorspar, mica, quartz, and other accessory minerals. Samples used in most of the research ranged from 0.49 to 0.73% BeO. Beryllium mineralization varied from twothirds bertrandite to all phenacite. An unusually high grade sample containing 5% BeO as phenacite was floated on a batch basis to prepare concentrate for utilization studies. The beryllium minerals were floated from undeslimed pulps at natural pH using sodium fluoride and sodium hexametaphosphate (HMP), as modifiers, and a fatty acid-fuel oil combinatton as the collector. Key factors were the use of a minimum of about 4 pounds of sodium fluoride and 2 to 4 pounds of HMP per ton of ore. Efficacy of the HMP was related to the grind, mineralogical composition, corollary reagents, and type and time of conditioning. Addition of the fluoride, HMP, and collector in that order, followed by appropriate conditioning after each addition, was essential for satisfactory flotation. A typical result obtained by bench-scale batch tests in a 500-gram cell on a bertrandite-phenacite sample of 0.49% BeO was 82% recovery in a concentrate of 14% BeO. Flotation of phenacite ore containing 5% BeO in a 10-kg cell resulted in an 85% recovery in a concentrate of 34% BeO. (auth)

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines. Salt Lake City Metallurgy Research Center
• NSA Number: NSA-16-001840
• OSTI ID: 4819196
• Report Number(s): BM-RI-5875
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
ACIDITY
BERTRANDITE
BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BERYLLIUM SILICATES
CALCITE
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM FLUORIDES
CHEMICALS
EFFICIENCY
ENRICHMENT
FLOTATION
FLUORITE
FLUORSPAR
MICA
MINERALS
OILS
ORES
ORGANIC ACIDS
PHENAKITE
QUANTITY RATIO
QUARTZ
RECOVERY
SAMPLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM FLUORIDES
SODIUM PHOSPHATES
TESTING