Pilot Plant Batch Flotation Tests on Lot a-200 Radioactive Ore at Middlesex Warehouse, Middlesex, New Jersey

Abstract

Stanford Laboratory on Samples A-I08 and A-II6 of sulfur-bearing uranlMi ores, vhleh vere received from the United States Atomic Energy Coomlssion. Flotation removed concentrates of sulfide minerals containing little uranium and concentrates of uranlTim (flotation underflow) containing 0.3 ^ S or less. From the preliminary laboratory flotation tests It vas decided to set up a pilot plant flotation laboratory in the "Old Laundry Room" at the UoS.A.E.C. Middlesex Warehouse, Middlesex, Itev Jersey. During August 1950 a flotation laboratory vas Installed at the Middlesex Warehouse to recover the flotation tinderflov containing 1.0 ^ sulfur or less from 1|.00 pounds of Lot A-200 high sulfur bearing uranium ore. Object of Investigations To remove sulfide minerals from 4^00-pounds of Lot A-200 ore by flotation and recover a uranium concentrate (flotation underflow) containing 1.0 percent sulfur or less. Summary and Conclusions; !rhe results of this investigation vere summarized as the vork progressed and vere reported by letter periodically to the Atomic Energy NTO-1161 3 k NTO-1161 commission (NTOO). Pilot Plant batch flotation tests were effective In recovering uranium concentrates containing less than 1°0 ^ sulfur. Svilflde mineralE vere floated from 25<>0 i^ batches and similar products from four-25 # batches vere combined. Uranium concentrates containing 0.77> 0.9I, le99, and 2<>26 ^ 5 vere recovered. The composite uranium concentrate (flotation underflow) from 400 # of Lot A-200 ore assayed 1^75 ^ S and 55 .i|-jt UoOg vhich represented 7<.k <fi of the total sulfur and kh<,k ^ of the UoC^ in the ore. The flotation feed vas overgroimd to minus 92o5 ^ minus 200 mesh In the ball mill used for dry grinding vhleh vas the only equipment available at the Warehouse. The fine dry grind made excess slime which persisted in floating wl-^h the sulfide concentrate 0 The sulfide concentrate composite assayed 17.3 ^ S and 20olf ^ U^Oo and contained 560 3 i» of the total sulfur and 12<,5 ^ of the total UoOg.