Cobalt ore dressing process

Cobalt Ore Flotation Process

Flotation is one of the commonly used methods in cobalt ore dressing, mainly using the differences in physical and chemical properties of the mineral surface. In the cobalt ore flotation process, the ore is first crushed and ground to dissociate the cobalt mineral monomer. Then, an adjusting agent (such as sodium carbonate) is added to adjust the pH value of the slurry, and then a collector (such as yellow medicine, black medicine, etc.) and a frother are added. Through the flotation operation, the cobalt minerals are attached to the bubbles and float out, thereby separating them from the gangue minerals. This method is suitable for fine-grained cobalt ores and can effectively recover cobalt associated with sulfide minerals. However, the process flow of flotation is relatively complicated and the reagent consumption is relatively large.

Cobalt ore magnetic separation process

The magnetic separation method uses the difference in the magnetic properties of minerals for separation. For magnetic cobalt minerals, strong magnetic separators or weak magnetic separators can be used to complete the separation. During the magnetic separation process, the ore pulp after crushing and grinding is sent to the magnetic separator, and the cobalt minerals are adsorbed under the action of the magnetic field, while the gangue minerals are thrown out. The process flow of the magnetic separation method is simple and the equipment investment is small, but its disadvantage is that the recovery effect of non-magnetic cobalt minerals is poor.

Cobalt ore gravity separation process

The gravity separation method is based on the difference in mineral density. After the cobalt mineral monomers are dissociated by crushing and grinding, gravity separation equipment such as jigs, shaking tables, and spiral chutes are used. Under the action of gravity, cobalt minerals with higher density are separated from gangue minerals with lower density. The process flow of the gravity separation method is simple and the equipment investment is small, but the recovery effect is not ideal for fine-grained cobalt minerals.

Cobalt Ore Electrostatic Separation Process

Electrostatic separation is a separation method based on the difference in the electrical properties of minerals. The crushed and ground ore is sent to the electrostatic separator. Under the action of the electric field, cobalt minerals and gangue minerals with different electrical properties are separated. The process flow of electrostatic separation is simple and the equipment investment is small, but the ore with high mud content will affect the electrostatic separation effect.

Cobalt Ore Chemical Separation Process

Chemical separation is to extract cobalt minerals from the ore through chemical reactions. First, the ore is crushed and ground, and then chemical reagents (such as sulfuric acid, ammonia water, etc.) are used for leaching to allow cobalt to enter the solution from the ore. Then the leachate is purified by chemical precipitation, ion exchange and other methods, and finally cobalt is extracted from the solution by electrolysis or replacement reaction. Chemical separation is suitable for complex and difficult to select cobalt ores, but the process flow is complex, the environmental protection requirements are high, and the cost is also high.