SEPARATION OF MAGNESITE FROM ITS CONTAMINANTS BY REVERSE FLOTATION

摘要

The present invention provides a reverse flotation method for the removal of contaminants from a magnesite ore which has as a main component magnesium carbonate and as contaminants silica and silicates of iron, aluminum and calcium which method comprises grinding the previously crushed ore to a desired grain size; classifying the pulp so obtained, conditioning said classified pulp in a conditioner,when required adjusting the pH of said pulp to be in the range 6.8 to 7.2 and subjecting said pulp to a flotation by the addition of a selective mixture of cationic collectors in combination with impure kerosene to the pulp during or after the conditioning or both; removing the contaminants and the froth and removing the ore concentrate so obtained in a settled underflow product. Suitably the mixture of cationic collectors is a mixture of a quaternary ammonium compounds and primary amines.