EFFECTS OF VARIED PROCESS PARAMETERS ON FROTH FLOTATION EFFICIENCY: A CASE STUDY OF ITAKPE IRON ORE

Authors

  • S Akande DEPARTMENT OF MINING ENGINEERING, FEDERAL UNIV. OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA
  • EO Ajaka DEPARTMENT OF MINING ENGINEERING, FEDERAL UNIV. OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA
  • OO Alabi DEPT. OF MET. & MATERIALS ENGINEERING, FEDERAL UNIV. OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA
  • TA Olatunji

Keywords:

Process parameters, Froth flotation, Efficiency, Itakpe iron ore

Abstract

The dire need for Itakpe iron ore concentrates of appreciable iron content meets for smelting operation necessitated this study. Core samples of the iron ore sourced from Itakpe, Kogi State, Nigeria were prepared for petrological analysis followed by chemical and particle size analyses. Froth flotation was done using different collectors at varying particle sizes and pH values. Characterization studies carried out revealed that Itakpe iron ore is a lean ore assaying 36.18% Fe2O3 and contains predominantly quartz, sillimanite, and haematite. Its liberation size lies favourably at 75 µm. Processing the ore by froth flotation yielded appreciable enrichment. Optimal recovery (~92%) was achieved using potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) at pH 11 for fine feed sizes (<125 µm) yielding iron concentrate assaying 67.66% Fe2O3. Thus, processing at this set-of-conditions is recommended for the industrial production of more enriched Itakpe iron ore concentrates.

 

http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v39i3.21

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Published

2020-06-22

Issue

Vol. 39 No. 3 (2020): NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 39, NO. 3, JULY 2020

Section

Chemical, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Petroleum & Production Engineering

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How to Cite

EFFECTS OF VARIED PROCESS PARAMETERS ON FROTH FLOTATION EFFICIENCY: A CASE STUDY OF ITAKPE IRON ORE. (2020). Nigerian Journal of Technology, 39(3), 807-814. https://www.nijotech.com/index.php/nijotech/article/view/2366