Application Of Combination Collectors In Bulk Flotation Of Wolframite And Scheelite

Recovering tungsten mineral effectively from the ore of fine-disseminated wolframite and scheelite was a hard problem.Aiming at the problem of severe loss of fine wolframite in bulk flotation of wolframite and scheelite in Yunnan Maguan tungsten ores.Using combination collectors of GYB and ZL was proposed to applicate in the bulk flotation of wolframite and scheelite.Good performances were gained both in lab and industrial experiments.On the base of which,the action law of wolframite and scheelite as functions of four collectors (GYB,NaOL,731,HYN) was investigated by flotation experiments of pure mineral.Mechanism of wolframite and combined collectors was disscussed as functions of surface wettability measurements and Zeta potential measurements and interaction between particles.Results of Yunnan Maguan tungsten ore flotation showed that tungsten mineral could be recovered effectively with the collectors combined.Collectors combination of GYB and ZL was better than combination of 733 and 731.Positive synergistic effect was existed between tunsten collectors GYB and ZL.The synergistic effect was most obvious when GYB:ZL=1:3,which performanced excellent in the flotation of tungsten ore containing WO₃ 0.83%,a rough concentrate grading 30.70%WO₃ at a recovery of 88.29%was gained in the lab. Success were achieved in the industrial experimentation on the low grade ore containing WO₃ 0.42%and the high grade ore containing WO₃ 0.87% respectively.Results of pure mineral flotation showed that:(1) The flotability of scheelite was far better than wolframite,the key of the bulk flotation of wolframite and schelite was to strengthen wolframite flotation.(2) The best flotation pH interval maybe different between wolframite and scheelite.The best flotation pH interval was inconsistent with NaOL,731 as collector,which went against to the bulk flotation of wolframite and scheelite.(3) The collecting capability to wolframite was enhanced with the combination of chelating collector GYB and fatty acids collectors NaOL,HYN and 731.Intensity sequence of collecting capability was: GYB+731＞GYB+HYN＞GYB+NaOL.When GYB:HYN:731=1:6:3, the best performance was gained and the flotation pH interval of wolframite was extended with the recovery increased.Results of surface properties measurement of wolframite showed that the surface Zeta potential shift negatively when acted by combined collectors,what's more,the contact angle of wolframite increased with the enhancement of surface hydrophobicity.Hydrophobic aggregation microscopical photos of froth product showed that the aggregation was bigger and tighter when acted by combined collectors.Results of interaction energy calculated by EDLVO theory between particles showed that the interaction energy of wolframite particles acted by combined collectors was negative invariably and minimum,and the formation of aggregation would be easier.