Effect of flotation reagents on the wet grinding of celestite concantrate

Abstract

In this study, the grinding of celestite concentrate in presence of grinding aids, used for celestite ore, flotation has been investigated in a laboratory wet-ball mill as a function of time and concentration of grinding aids. In the experiments, Aero-801, sodium oleate and sodium silicate have been used as grinding aids at the concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000 g/t.

While sodium oleate and sodium silicate have beneficial effect in longer grinding times at concentrations of 100 and 1000 g/t, they have adverse effect on grinding at all grinding times at concentration of 10 g/t as evident from particle size. <i>d</i>₈₀ values of ground products are coarser than that without grinding aid. Aero-801 is the best among the grinding aids tested for the concentrations studied. Considering the fineness of the ground products desired, 100 g/t concentration of Aero-801 appears to be proper for grinding of celestite concentrate.