Abstract:
The fluorite ore from Henan Province exhibits the following chemical composition: CaF
2 32.13%, SiO
2 53.64%, Al
2O
3 6.53%, K
2O 2.36%, Na
2O 1.17%, CaCO
3 0.82%, etc. The main mineralogical composition includes fluorite (31.82%), quartz (31.61%), albite (12.74%), potassium feldspar (11.39%), muscovite (4.22%), garnet(2.25%), and calcite(2.34%). Process mineralogy studies reveal that the ore has a relatively simple mineral composition, with fluorite grains generally coarse and low calcite content, which is advantageous for fluorite flotation purification. However, some fluorite is closely intergrown with silicate gangue minerals such as quartz and feldspar. At a grinding fineness of −0.074 mm (65%), the liberation degree of fluorite reaches 74.51%, indicating challenging liberation that significantly affects separation and purification. Based on the ore characteristics, a systematic mineral processing experiment is conducted using acidic water glass and tannin extract as depressants, with sodium oleate and sodium dodecyl sulfonate as combined collectors. An optimized process flow is established: primary grinding (65% −0.074 mm) -roughing-one selecting-regrinding of rough concentrate (85% −0.074 mm) -eight selectings - return of middling product 1 to scavenging-cascaded recycling of secondary middlings. The test results demonstrates that a fluorite concentrate with a yield of 29.63%, CaF
2 grade of 97.12%, and recovery rate of 91.54% is achieved. The depressant combination effectively suppresses both silicate and carbonate gangue minerals, while the dual-collector system significantly enhances selectivity toward fluorite compared to single collectors. The combination of acidic water glass and tannin extract can effectively depress both silicate and carbonate gangue minerals. Compared with single collectors, the combined collector system of sodium oleate and sodium dodecyl sulfonate enhances the selective flotation capacity for fluorite minerals. These findings provide technical guidance and reference for future industrial production of this resource and the development of similar ore deposits.