INFLUENCE OF VARIED AGITATION TIME ON UPGRADING ITAKPE IRON ORE DUMPED TAILINGS USING REVERSED FROTH FLOTATION METHOD

Abstract

The effect of varied agitation time on the upgrading of Itakpe iron ore dumped tailings via reverse froth flotation technique was investigated. Chemical and mineralogical characterization of the crude sample of Itakpe iron ore dumped tailings was carried out using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (ED-XRF), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Samplesused were sourced from different tailing dump sites at National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Itakpe, Kogi State, Nigeria and properly homogenized. Liberation size was determined to be 250+180 μm through fractional sieve size at a sieve range of +500 m to -63 m. 250 g of the prepared sample was frothed in a Denver D-12 Flotation Cell using froth floatation reagents while varying agitation time at an interval of 60 seconds, followed by chemical analysis of the froth and depressed at different agitation times. Chemical analysis of the crude shows that it contains 27.71% Fe2O3, 70.1% SiO2, and other trace impurities. XRD pattern of the crude sample revealed present of Quartz (68.41 % (SiO2), Rutile (0.79 % TiO2), Hematite (20.05 % Fe2O3), Magnetite (1.21 % Fe3O4), Biotite-1M (1.02 % KNaFeF), and Albite (8.52 % Na (AlSi3O8)) while SEM imaging showed interlocking nature of some minerals within the crystal aggregates. The EDX shows that silicon and Iron are the major elemental constituents of the ore matrix. However, analysis of the froth revealed that optimum assay was achieved at an agitation time of 60 seconds; and as such chosen as the best agitation time.