Recovery of elemental sulphur from products containing contaminated elemental sulphur by froth flotation

摘要

A new 'cold' process for the recovery of elemental sulphur from contaminated elemental sulphur products is described. Elemental sulphur is recovered by froth flotation from: contaminated base pads of elemental sulphur blocks, stockpiles of contaminated elemental sulphur; contaminated elemental sulphur rejects from industrial handling and hauling; complex sulphur agglomerate, reject by-product from hot melting processes which is presently unprocessable and discarded (or as is otherwise referred to as 'sulphur crete melt residue'); contaminated products resulting from the exploitation processes using wells for the application of heat to reservoirs in order to recover elemental sulphur; and also from other sources of contaminated elemental sulphur in the oil and gas and other industries. This process comprises the steps of coarse screening, crushing, wet grinding, sizing, classifying. Then, the wet ground slurry at ambient temperature is treated by froth flotation, removing the elemental sulphur in the froth, and transporting undesirable contaminants to storage ponds or subsequent land reclamation. The initial elemental sulphur froth from the first stage of flotation is cleaned one or more times by reflotations. The cleaned elemental sulphur-bearing froth is then filtered to remove excess water and to produce a filter cake.