Aerosol flotation of low-grade refractory molybdenum ores

The characteristics of aerosol flotation, which include the effect of the concentration and particle size of kerosene aerosol on the molybdenum (Mo) flotation index and the effect of kerosene aerosol dosing method on the kerosene dosage and flotation time, were studied in the flotation of low-grade refractory molybdenum ores using kerosene aerosol. The results revealed that the particle size and concentration of kerosene aerosol had little effect on the Mo grade but had significant effect on the Mo recovery. A smaller particle size and a lower concentration of kerosene aerosol were beneficial to the Mo aerosol flotation. For the received Mo ore samples, the optimized particle size of kerosene aerosol was 0.3–2 μm and the optimized aerosol concentration was 14 mg/L. The compressed air atomizer had a more uniform distribution of aerosol particles than the ultrasonic atomizer, and the aerosol concentration was controlled easily, so the compressed air atomizer was more suitable for the research of aerosol flotation. Compared with conventional flotation in which kerosene was directly added into the ore pulp, the flotation time was reduced by ∼30%, and the dosage was decreased by ∼20% in aerosol flotation, while the Mo flotation index was similar.