Abstract:
A tungsten tailings contains 0.098% rubidium, and the gangue minerals are mainly quartz, garnet, fluorite, and calcite. Rubidium is mainly present in muscovite, biotite, and potassium feldspar, and its distribution relationship with the gangue minerals is extremely complex, belonging to the associated high calcium low grade rubidium ore. In order to determine the rubidium recovery process, a reverse flotation decalcification rubidium flotation principle process was adopted. Detailed experiments were conducted on the collector, inhibitor, and selection process of reverse flotation decalcification coarse selection, as well as conditions such as rubidium flotation coarse selection activator, pulp pH, dodecylamine, and selected sodium hexametaphosphate. The results determined that a collector CYP+inhibitor SN−1 reagent system was used for reverse flotation decalcification, and a sulfuric acid+dodecylamine reagent system was used for rubidium positive flotation. Finally, through the closed circuit process of reverse flotation decalcification (two coarse and three fine) − fluorine−free low acid rubidium flotation (one coarse and one sweep and one fine), the Rb
2O grade of rubidium concentrate was 0.214%, and the Rb
2O recovery rate was 71.04%, effectively achieving the recovery of rubidium resources