Bastnaesite beneficiation by froth flotation and gravity separation

Abstract

Rare earth elements are in high demand in the United States. Independence from the importation of rare earths is essential to alleviate dependence on China for these rare earth elements. Bastnaesite, a rare earth fluorocarbonate, is one of the most abundant sources of rare earths in the United States. It is a fluorocarbonate mineral containing primarily cerium and lanthanum. The largest rare earth mine in the United States is Mountain Pass. This research was done to find a way to combine flotation with novel collectors and gravity separation techniques to reach an enhanced grade and recovery of rare earth elements while rejecting the gangue minerals, calcite, barite and silicate minerals. The main economic driving force is the price of hydrochloric acid in downstream processes, as calcite is an acid consumer. Surface chemistry analysis was completed using adsorption density, zeta potential, and microflotation on both gravity concentrates and run of mine ore samples. Four collectors were examined. These were N,2-dihydroxybenzamide, N-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxamide, N,3- dihydroxy-2-naphthamide, and N-hydroxyoleamide. Through this analysis it was determined that, to obtain the desired results, that flotation would be the rougher stage and the gravity separation would be utilized as the cleaner stage. Bench scale flotation tests were conducted on the run of mine ore using conditions that were determined using a previously calculated Stat Ease model. The bench tests that produced the most desirable results were then scaled up to a 10 kilogram float test. A concentrate from this test showed a rare earth oxide grade of 44%, while rejecting 91% of the calcite. This concentrate was used for gravity separation. Through gravity separation it was found that another 40% of the calcite could be rejected with a final rare earth oxide grade of 47% in the concentrate that was produced. Through economic analysis and the results from this project the use of gravity separation is not economical as a cleaner stage and more research should be done on flotation using lock cycle testing.