Optimisation of Reagent Dosage for the Flotation of Zankan Spodumene

M. A.,Usman, A. Sulaiman and I. A. Ismaila

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, Nigeria.

Keywords: Spodumene, Benefication, Flotation reagent, Optimization, Zankan

Abstract

This work presents optimization of reagent dosage for the concentration of Zankan Spodumene. Typically, Zankan lithium ore has existed without reported data on its Benefication parameters for the process route development, and this has undoubtedly deprived the nation of the actual economic benefits from the mineral’s ore, at a time when the future of the oil economy is uncertain. The Spodumene sample obtained from Zankan Village in Kaduna State, Nigeria, was comminuted and flotation was conducted on the liberated sizes. Inductively Coupled Plasma—Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to determine the chemical composition, while the optimization process was observed by a three-factorial design. The optimal conditions to attain the possible recovery of lithium oxide was the ratio of 2:2:4 ml of Collector (Oleic acid), Frother (Pine oil), and Sodium silicate (Depressant) respectively. A feed of 2.39% LiO was enriched to 4.57% LiO concentrates for the metal extraction. Thus, it is 2 2 recommended that flotation reagents dosage for Spodumene should be a ratio of 2:2:4 ml to enhance significant value addition, and also, to be used as a basis for pilot scale extrapolation.