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Understanding the
Basics of Anionic Conditioning in Phosphate Flotation
Glenn A. Gruber, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.; Brij M. Moudgil,
University of Florida Minerals Resources Research Center;
Dr. P. Somasundaran, Somasundaran, Inc.
1995.
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Phosphate companies mine a matrix that consists of roughly
equal parts of sand, clay and phosphate. The anionic conditioning
is a critical step in the flotation process that separates
the sand from the phosphate. This study provided a better
understanding of how to condition the sand and sand-sized
phosphate to recover the most phosphate in flotation. It demonstrated
why it is important to have the highest possible concentration
of sand and phosphate in order for the particles to best absorb
the reagents (fatty acids and fuel oil) that cause the sand
and phosphate to separate in flotation. This understanding
has helped the phosphate industry fine-tune its flotation
process, recover more phosphate for fertilizer, and to some
extent, reduce the amount of reagents used.
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Development and
Evaluation of a Rapid Clay-Dewatering Process (FIPR/DIPR)
as a Reclamation Technique
Hassan El-Shall, Ph.D.
Beneficiation Director, FIPR
1995
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The
phosphate industry leaves 40% of the land it mines behind in
clay settling areas. FIPR research has proven that there are
uses for the land, but the uses are limited by the properties
of the clay that leave the settling areas unstable. There is
a need to cut down on the number of settling areas created.
The ideal solution would be to find a new way to dewater the
clay. The FIPR-DIPR process could be a viable alternative that
would dry the clay quickly so it can be used. One use would
be to plow it into Florida's sandy soil and create a loam.
FIPR/DIPR has not been put to use because phosphate companies
have traditionally believed it to be more expensive than current
practice. In light of current concerns over the amount of
land left behind in clay settling areas, however, the Florida
Legislature passed a phosphate bill in 2003 that provided
$800,000 to reevaluate the economic and technical feasibility
of putting FIPR/DIPR to use. Phosphate industry representatives
on FIPR advisory committees dealing with this work are very
interested in reevaluating the process in light of today's
technology.
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Fate and Consequences
to the Environment of Reagents Associated with Rock Phosphate
Processing
Shailesh K. Patel & Allan E. Schreiber
BCI Engineers & Scientists, Inc.
2001
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People
have often wondered what happens to the reagents (chemicals)
used in processing phosphate. This project was the first modern
detailed research to be done to define the residual impact of
phosphate industry reagents on the environment. It found that
the reagents, or chemicals, used in the phosphate industry to
separate the sand from the phosphate do not have a significant
lasting impact on the environment. Commonly used chemicals -
fatty acids, amines, and fuel oils - degrade and do not pose
a long-term threat to the environment or the aquifer.
One of the reagents, fuel oil, degrades more slowly and traces
were found in fresh sand tailings and in the top level of
the aquifer, but its presence began decreasing quickly and
the amount found in the surficial aquifer was well within
EPA's acceptable limits. Nonetheless, a new FIPR project will
look more closely at the fuel oil.
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Beneficiation
of Phosphates:
I - III
Patrick Zhang, Hassan El-Shall & P. Somasundaran (eds.)
Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, Inc.
1993, 1999, 2002
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While phosphate mining is one of the largest mining industries
of the world in terms of both volume of materials handled
and economic impact, papers on phosphate mining and mineral
processing are usually rare at most major mining and mineral
processing conferences/meetings, both nationally and internationally.
Recognizing the need for an international conference on phosphate
beneficiation, FIPR, in collaboration with the Engineering
Conference International (formerly Engineering Foundation
Conference), launched this series of conferences in 1993.
It has become the world's most prestigious and prominent conference
on phosphate mineral processing.
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