Kazakh scientists have learned how to effectively process waste from barite ore enrichment

A technology for the efficient extraction of valuable components from barite ores and their processing tailings has been developed in Kazakhstan. It was prepared for implementation with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, the ministry's press service reported.

Mining companies in the republic have accumulated large volumes of waste rock remaining after beneficiation of barite ores. The barite content in these tailings reaches 57-60%, but due to the imperfections of existing technologies, the waste is almost never processed.

Using gravity methods available to subsoil users, only 70-75% of the barium sulfate can be extracted, and the quality of the resulting product is below the standard established for concentrate. This leads to the loss of valuable raw materials and creates a significant environmental impact.

At the Chiganak deposit (Zhambyl region), scientists analyzed the tailings from the beneficiation of barite-containing ores using gravity. They determined how the size of barium sulfate particles affects the distribution of the valuable component and identified the factors that determine its efficient extraction.

Based on the collected data, specialists developed a combined gravity-flotation enrichment process. Flotation reagents were selected – oleic acid as a collector and liquid glass as a depressant.

The developers determined suitable milling and enrichment modes. The result was a process flowsheet that enables the processing of secondary mineral resources with maximum benefit.

The high efficiency of the new technology was proven experimentally. A concentrate containing up to 95.47% barium sulfate, as required by GOST 4682-84, was obtained from the tailings. This product can be used in the oil and gas industry, for example, as a weighting agent for drilling fluids.

Source: t.me/dpromKZ