A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT USEFUL FOR THE BENEFICATION OF ORES AND MINERALS CONTAINING ALUMINOUS GANGUE MINERALS

摘要

This invention relates to a process for manufacturing a surface active agent useful for the beneficiation of ores and minerals containing aluminous gangue minerals. The process uses lignite as the starting material and involves sulfonating the lignite, followed by subjecting to alkali digestion. This has resulted in increasing the ionizable functional groups in the humic acid structure, the major constituent of lignite. The improved surface active agent of the present invention has high compatibility towards polyvalent ions and is effective for removal of aluminous gangue minerals from iron ore fines and slimes both in basic and acidic medium. The surface active agent, manufactured by the process of the present invention, will find ready usage for the beneficiation of ores and minerals containing aluminous gangue minerals, in the mineral processing industries.