SCHEELITE FLOTATIONAbstract of the DisclosureA scheelite concentrate is recovered from a scheelite orecontaining silicate minerals and other calcareous minerals byfroth flotation which process comprises grinding the ore suffi-ciently fine to liberate the scheelite grains, pulping the goundore with water to form a slurry containing between about 20% andabout 40% solids by weight, sequentially conditioning the slurrywith at least one alkali metal carbonate in small but effectiveamounts to provide an alkaline pH adjustment and a source ofcarbonate ions, with small but effective amount of alkali metalsilicates to depress siliceous and calcareous gangue minerals otherthan scheelite and with a fatty acid collector in small but effec-tive amounts to coat the scheelite grains, the conditioning withthe fatty acid collector being conducted with sufficient agitationto disintegrate floccules of scheelite, silicate mineral and othercalcareous mineral grains and to preferentially reflocculate thescheelite grains for a period of time sufficient to produce uponflotation a concentrate having a grade of at least about 50% WO3,adding a frother to the collector conditioned slurry and subjectingthe collector conditioned slurry to froth flotation to recover thefroth product a scheelite concentration having a grade of at leastabout 50% WO3.(1)
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