Mineralogical and Technological Aspects of Phosphate Ore Processing

Abstract

The article studies the mineralogical features of phosphate ores. In the conditions of declining industrial reserves of apatite-containing ores, issues of a more comprehensive and in-depth study of the mineral and material composition, as well as the improvement of existing technologies for the processing of this type of raw material, become topical. Using optical methods of analysis, electron microscopy with automated mineralogical analysis (MLA), mineral and elemental composition of apatite was obtained. Taking into account the studied mineralogical and material composition, experiments on grinding and flotation were carried out. Based on these data, it was concluded that the optimal scheme for the processing of phosphate ores is a flotation scheme with preliminary selective disintegration.