Phosphate Rock Beneficiation
Phosphate rock beneficiation mainly includes crushing, gravity separation, flotation, magnetic separation, and other processes. It usually combines multiple processes to maximize resource recovery and utilization. Sortek Group provides customized phosphate rock processing plants and equipment to maximize the mineral recovery rate.
Phosphate Rock Beneficiation Process
Phosphate rock is an important mineral resource, mainly used in producing fertilizers, pesticides, and industrial raw materials. Its beneficiation process is designed to increase the grade (phosphorus content) and recovery rate of phosphate rock, thereby enabling efficient use of this resource.
Scrubbing and desilting process: Suitable for treating highly weathered phosphate rock, but the grade and recovery rate of phosphorus concentrate are relatively low.
Heavy medium beneficiation process (gravity separation): Since the specific gravity of main gangue minerals (such as calcite, dolomite, and quartz) in phosphate rock is similar to that of apatite, the heavy medium separation method is mainly used. It causes little environmental pollution, is suitable for coarse-grained phosphate rock, but not for fine-grained phosphate rock.
Flotation separation: The main method for phosphate ore beneficiation. It is suitable for processing complex and refractory phosphate ore, and the final concentrate has high grade and recovery rate.
Combined gravity-magnetic-flotation process: Suitable for phosphate rock containing useful associated minerals, with high ore utilization rate. However, the beneficiation process is complex and often requires complicated reagent removal treatment.
Phosphate Rock Processing Plant
Phosphate Rock Mineral Processing
Phosphate ore processing can be divided into three stages: crushing — separation — concentrate dehydration.
Ore crushing process: Includes crushing, screening, grinding, and grading. Crushers and ball mills are used to reduce the ore particle size, so that phosphorus minerals and impurity minerals can be dissociated into monomers. The grinding degree depends on the particle size of phosphorus minerals and impurity minerals.
Phosphate rock separation process: Usually uses flotation machines. Phosphate rock often contains recyclable iron ore and other associated metals; in this case, processes such as magnetic separation can be added to the flotation process. Magnetic separators are used to separate and remove magnetic impurity minerals in phosphate rock, while useful associated metals are recovered.
Ore dehydration: Usually includes two processes: concentration and filtration. Thickeners are generally used for concentration, and disc filters are used for filtration — this makes phosphate rock products easy to store and transport.
The selection of phosphate rock process solutions needs to be determined according to the requirements of phosphate concentrate product indicators and the differences in raw ore properties. Contact us to get more process details and equipment prices!