With the decline in mineral feed grades, mineral beneficiation will continue to face the challenge of economically obtaining high recoveries of industry specified quality mineral concentrates, while using lower quality feedstocks. The collectors require an overhaul or an enhancement to ensure these challenges continue to be resolved. One example that is facing this challenge is in the beneficiation of apatite, which is a dominant species in fertilizers around the world. As the global population continues to grow, so does the demand on fertilizers to reduce the risk of food insecurities. Thus, while the grade of the mineral feedstock is declining, the demand continues to be on the rise. A novel alkyl polyglucoside (APG) type surfactant has been found to significantly increase the selectivity and recovery of apatite from low grade mineral feed, and this article presents the findings.
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Cited:
Moore L.R., Taylor, J.D., Hardy, J.
Novel Surfactants to Enhance Collectors for
the Direct Flotation of Apatite. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2024).