1. BENEFICIATION OF ANCYLITE Mr. Hao Cui & Dr. Corby Anderson
Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy, The George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO
ABSTRACT
Hydroxamic acid is chemically adsorbed onto the surface of ancylite, calcite and strontianite.
At room temperature, the monolayer coverage of hydroxamic acid on ancylite is shown as 20 µmol/m2, which is much higher than the monolayer coverages for strontianite and calcite.
Since ancylite, a rare earth strontium carbonate, is a potentially commercial rare earth mineral, this study will provide a comprehensive understanding of the surface chemistry of ancylite and indicate a flowsheet for ancylite separation.
OBJECTIVE
Mineral characterization of Bear Lodge ore
Fundamental studies on the surface chemistry of ancylite, calcite and strontianite
A flowsheet to be developed for separation of ancylite from its gangue minerals
METHOD
Zeta potential of ancylite, calcite and strontianite in distilled water.
Zeta potential of ancylite in the presence of hydroxamic acid.
Mineral characterization contained MLA, XRD, QEMscan and ICP analysis.
Fundamentals studies were carried out by zeta potential, adsorption and FTIR, as well as microflotation.
An alternative flowsheet was investigated based on flotation and wet high intensity magnetic separation.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Adsorption density of ancylite, strontianite and calcite as a function of hydroxamic acid. concentration
MINERAL CHARACTERIZATION
The primary REE mineral in the sample is ancylite at 7.3%, followed by bastnaesite and monazite.
The main gangue mineral is calcite at 60%, followed by pyrite and strontianite.
Ancylite is strongly associated with strontianite and calcite.
The overall carbonatite and ancylite grain size distributions, P80, are 100 and 50 µm.
TREATMENT OF BEAR LODGE ORE
CONCLUSION
An overall REO grade of 12% at 61% REO recovery was achieved compared to the previous grade of 6.64% at 86.4% recovery from similar feed grade material.
Mineral associations of ancylite, strontianite and calcite.
FUNDAMENTALS OF SURFACE CHEMISTRY
Zeta potential studies indicate that the IEP (isoelectric point) of ancylite, strontianite and calcite in the distilled water are around 5.46, 4.5 and 5.5, respectively.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research is supported by the Critical Materials Institute, an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office.
Hao Cui
Corby Anderson