How to reduce cost control in barite flotation?

The core contradiction of low recovery rate of barite flotation lies in mineral characteristics, reagent selection and process adaptability. Early problems were mostly caused by insufficient understanding of ore properties and limitations of reagent technology, resulting in unsatisfactory barite flotation efficiency. This phenomenon is the focus of modern beneficiation plants, and it is also a problem that beneficiation plants urgently need to solve and improve. So how to improve flotation methods to improve beneficiation efficiency while reducing cost control? The editor can improve from two aspects of optimization and cost control through data query.

01Optimization of barite flotation technology

1. Optimization of barite reagents

If the current positive flotation process recovery rate is low, you can try to change the collector type. Changing from conventional fatty acid collectors to new phosphonic acid collectors may have stronger selectivity and capture ability for barite. At the same time, adjust the dosage of adjusters and inhibitors, and determine the best reagent combination through experiments. For example, when using water glass as a depressant, accurately controlling its dosage can effectively inhibit gangue minerals without affecting the flotation of barite.

When the reverse flotation concentrate grade does not meet the standard, the collector can be optimized. For example, for amine collectors, adjust their carbon chain length or functional group structure to improve the selectivity for gangue minerals. At the same time, optimize the inhibitor formula to enhance the inhibitory effect on barite and reduce the loss of barite during reverse flotation.

For priority flotation, the reagents for each step should be accurately adjusted according to the flotation order of different minerals. For example, when flotating barite after flotation of fluorite, adjust the pulp pH value and collector type to enable efficient flotation of barite. For mixed flotation, develop more targeted universal collectors, or compound existing collectors to improve the flotation effect of mixed minerals.

2. Improvement of barite flotation process

If there is a problem of gangue minerals entrained in the foam during the forward flotation process, the number of selections can be increased, and impurities in the foam can be removed through multiple selections to improve the grade of barite concentrate. At the same time, the stirring intensity and aeration volume of the flotation equipment can be optimized to allow the barite to fully contact the collector and improve the recovery rate.

When the reverse flotation process is complex and inefficient, you can try to simplify the process. For example, adopt a process of one roughing and multiple sweeping to reduce unnecessary flotation links. At the same time, optimize the structure of the flotation equipment to improve the separation efficiency of gangue minerals and barite.

Preferential flotation can improve the process by optimizing the flotation sequence of minerals. For example, a more reasonable flotation sequence can be determined through experiments to reduce mutual interference between minerals. Mixed flotation can introduce new separation technologies, such as magnetic separation and electric separation, in the mixed concentrate separation stage, and combine them with flotation to improve the separation effect.

02Barite flotation reagent cost control

1. Barite flotation reagent cost control

During barite flotation, if the reagent consumption is large, you can look for collector substitutes with lower prices but equivalent effects. For example, oxidized paraffin soap can partially replace oleic acid as a collector. Oxidized paraffin soap is relatively cheap and has a good collection effect on barite under certain conditions. At the same time, optimize the dosage of adjusters and inhibitors to avoid waste.

During the reverse flotation process, the pH value of the slurry can be adjusted to make the collector work under more suitable conditions, thereby reducing the amount of collector. For example, for amine collectors, accurately control the pH value of the acidic slurry to improve its collection efficiency for gangue minerals and reduce reagent consumption. At the same time, choose a reasonably priced inhibitor, such as replacing some of the more expensive inhibitors with zinc sulfate to reduce the cost of the reagent.

In addition, the flotation efficiency can be improved and the overall cost can be reduced by combining reagents, such as using a compound reagent to compound a small amount of high-efficiency collector with a lower-priced auxiliary collector to achieve the same flotation effect. At the same time, arrange the flotation sequence reasonably to reduce unnecessary reagent addition steps.

2. Energy consumption cost control of barite flotation

In terms of energy consumption cost control, it can be improved by selecting suitable flotation equipment models and parameters, selecting energy-efficient flotation machines, adjusting the stirring speed and aeration volume, and reducing the power consumption of the equipment while ensuring the flotation effect. At the same time, arrange the number of stages of the flotation process reasonably to avoid excessive flotation leading to increased energy consumption.

In addition, during the reverse flotation process, reasonably control the pulp concentration to reduce energy consumption during pulp transportation. A higher pulp concentration may increase the load of the conveying equipment. Appropriately reducing the pulp concentration can reduce energy consumption, but it should be noted that it should not affect the flotation effect.

It is also possible to adopt the method of stage grinding and stage separation to avoid high energy consumption caused by one-time excessive grinding. At the same time, the flotation equipment is intelligently transformed, and the equipment operating parameters are adjusted in real time according to the pulp properties and flotation indicators to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction.

The low efficiency of barite flotation is a problem that every beneficiation plant will worry about. Whether it is the backward technology in the early days or the emergence of modern innovative processes, it is necessary to combine the characteristics of barite ore to conduct research and solve the fundamental problem through customized solutions.

Xinhai can provide barite beneficiation test research, beneficiation scheme design, beneficiation plant design, complete set of barite beneficiation equipment supply, and also provide barite beneficiation plant project management and operation services.