Study On The Flotation Characteristics Of Spodumene In Different Sizes And The Influence Of Fine Gangue Slime

Systematic study on the flotation behaviours of spodumene with different sizes and the influence of slime on the flotation of spodumene has important guiding significance for selective crushing of spodumene and the disposal of fine gangue slime.Based on the "Twelve Five" national support project, the mico-flotation of spodumene in different sizes, gangue minerals (quartz,feldspar) and fine gangue slime were carried out, and the meschanisms on the difference flotation of minerals were also investigated by means of EDLVO and solution chemical calculation. Experiments on the flotation of spodumene ore from XiaKika mine in Sichuan province were then finished, and conlcusions were obtained as follows:1. When amphoteric collector YOA was used in the flotation, the recovery of spodumene in-0.100+0.075mm and-0.075+0.038mm is higher than that of spodumene in-0.200+0.100mm and-0.038mm. With the addition of calcium chloride as activator, the recovery of spodumene in four different sizes increases,and rises gradually with the rising of pH, meanwhile, the recovery of spodumene in-0.100+0.075mm and-0.075+0.038mm are still higher than that of spodumene in-0.200+0.100mm and-0.038mm. The recovery of spodumene in-0.100+0.075mm and-0.075+0.038mm are up to90%at pH>12, so the optimizing flotation size range of spodumene is-0.100+0.038mm.2. The influence of-0.038mm gangue slime on the flotation of spodumene is stronger than that of other fractions while NaOH was used as regulator. The recovery of spodumene gradually decreases with the increasing amounts of fine gangue slime in mixture.When the ratio of gangue slime is3%in mixture, the recovery of spodumene drops directly from75%to25%. When Na2CO3was used as regulator, the recovery both of spodumene and gangue slime decreases gradually with the rising of pH (i.e. the increase of Na2CO3dosage). These results indicate that fine gangue slime is harmful to the flotation of spodumene, increasing the amount of Na2CO3is negative to the flotation of spodumene, but it is positive to the inhibition of fine gangue slime. Solution chemical calclutaion show that, the major species which shows influence on the flotability of minerals is HCO3with the addition of Na2CO3;After adding Ca2+in strong basic pulp, the active species Ca(OH)+causes the rapidly increase of the spodumene recovery.3. The adhesion test and microscope test show that fine gangue slime in-0.038mm does not cover the surface of spodumene with-0.100+0.075mm;EDLVO calculation shows that the total potential energy between spodumene and quartz, fledspar and fine gangue slime is always positive value when the distance between particles is larger than1.5nm at pH=12, and mineral particles are in dispersion due to the repulsive force. It also confirmed that gangue slime can’t adsorb and cover on spodumene surface.4. The adsorption density shows that the collector YOA will be preferentially adsorbed in the surface of fine gangue slime;Meanwhile,with the increasing ratio of fine gangue slime in mixture, the adsorption density increase,there will need more collectors,result in increasing the amount of reagent and production costs, so the impact of fine gangue slime in practice should be valued.5. For spodumene ore form Sichuan province assay1.42%of Li2O, a concentrate with the grade of6.26%Li2O and recovery of83.12%was produced by closed-circuit test under the conditions as:grinding fineness of70%-0.075mm, reagent regime of Na2CO31200g/t, NaOH500g/t, CaCl220g/t, and YOA200g/t, flotation flowsheet of "mechanic desliming-flotation ".