With the low-grade barite ore and the complexity of the ore properties, the flotation method has been widely used in the separation of barite ore. To improve the sorting index, mineral reagents are an important part of the beneficiation, and the use of industrial grade sodium hexametaphosphate/SHMP makes the flotation effect more effective.

After the combination of collectors or inhibitors is used, compared with the single use, or the additive effect of each drug in the combination, some can increase the recovery rate, some can improve the grade, and some can increase the flotation rate. Let's take a look at the flotation of barite and fluorite today. Will sodium hexametaphosphate be used?

Suppress barite flotation of fluorite

The process of inhibiting barite flotation of fluorite is to first flotate a mixed concentrate of barite-fluorite, and then add an inhibitor to inhibit barite to flotate fluorite. The barite flotation process can simultaneously recover high-grade barite concentrate and fluorite concentrate.

In the flotation process, barite inhibitors mainly include polymerized carbohydrates such as tannin extract, starch, dextrin, and sodium lignosulfonate. Inorganic salts such as sodium silicate, sodium carbonate, sulfate, sodium hexametaphosphate, ferric ion and aluminum ion, and a combination inhibitor formed by mixing them.

Inhibition of fluorite flotation barite

In the flotation process, inhibitors are added to suppress the fluorite in the barite-fluorite mixed concentrate, and the barite concentrate is obtained by flotation. Fatty acid collectors and sodium silicate are added to the tailings, and fluorite concentrate is obtained by selection for several times (7-9 times). This method is simple in process and easy to operate, and qualified barite concentrate can be obtained. However, the grade of fluorite concentrate is often not high, so it is suitable for ore that only requires the recovery of barite. In this flotation process, commonly used fluorite inhibitors include sodium silicate, citric acid, sodium hexametaphosphate and starch.

Therefore, sodium hexametaphosphate/SHMP can be used as an inhibitor in flotation operations. This is because sodium hexametaphosphate can form complexes with Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and other polyvalent metal ions, thereby inhibiting minerals containing these ions, such as apatite, calcite, barite, carbonaceous shale, and argillaceous Gangue inhibitor.

In the flotation of pyrochlore containing niobium, tantalum and thorium and zirconium containing zircon, sodium hexametaphosphate can also be used to inhibit gangue minerals such as feldspar, nepheline, and kaolin, and at the same time have a good dispersion of sludge Function, often used as a dispersant.

It is worth noting that the beneficiation test must be done before the sorting to fully analyze the properties of the ore. Combine the actual conditions of the concentrator and the investment budget to customize the scientific flotation process, and follow a reasonable flotation reagent system to obtain ideal economic benefits and beneficiation indicators.