Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock
Low-grade phosphate rock from Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) was beneficiated using a thermal treatment consisting of calcination, quenching, and disliming. Untreated phosphate rock samples (group 1), calcined phosphate rock samples (group 2), as well as calcined, quenched, and dislimed (group 3) phosphate...
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Minerals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/11/937 |
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| author | Noureddine Abbes Essaid Bilal Ludwig Hermann Gerald Steiner Nils Haneklaus |
| author_facet | Noureddine Abbes Essaid Bilal Ludwig Hermann Gerald Steiner Nils Haneklaus |
| author_sort | Noureddine Abbes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Low-grade phosphate rock from Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) was beneficiated using a thermal treatment consisting of calcination, quenching, and disliming. Untreated phosphate rock samples (group 1), calcined phosphate rock samples (group 2), as well as calcined, quenched, and dislimed (group 3) phosphate rock samples, were investigated using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Besides, the particle size distribution of the aforementioned three groups was determined. The proposed thermal treatment successfully increased the P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> content of the untreated phosphate rock from 20.01 wt% (group 1) to 24.24 wt% (group 2) after calcination and, finally, 27.24 wt% (group 3) after calcination, quenching, and disliming. It was further found that the concentration of relevant accompanying rare earth elements (Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, and Y) was increased and that the concentration of Cd could be significantly reduced from 30 mg/kg to 14 mg/kg with the proposed treatment. The resulting phosphate concentrate showed relatively high concentrations in metal oxides: Ʃ MgO, Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> = 3.63 wt% and silica (9.81 wt%) so that it did not meet the merchant grade specifications of a minimum P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> content of 30 wt% yet. Removal of these elements could be achieved using additional appropriate separation techniques. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:24:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58d192f87ba247089fb21f660b21a5db |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-163X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:24:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Minerals |
| spelling | doaj.art-58d192f87ba247089fb21f660b21a5db2023-11-20T18:07:47ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2020-10-01101193710.3390/min10110937Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate RockNoureddine Abbes0Essaid Bilal1Ludwig Hermann2Gerald Steiner3Nils Haneklaus4Groupe Chimique Tunisien, Gabes 6000, TunisiaÉcole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint Etienne, 42023 Saint-Etienne, FranceProman Management GmbH, Weingartenstrasse 92, 2214 Auersthal, AustriaTd Lab Sustainable Mineral Resources, Danube University Krems, Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems, AustriaTd Lab Sustainable Mineral Resources, Danube University Krems, Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems, AustriaLow-grade phosphate rock from Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) was beneficiated using a thermal treatment consisting of calcination, quenching, and disliming. Untreated phosphate rock samples (group 1), calcined phosphate rock samples (group 2), as well as calcined, quenched, and dislimed (group 3) phosphate rock samples, were investigated using inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Besides, the particle size distribution of the aforementioned three groups was determined. The proposed thermal treatment successfully increased the P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> content of the untreated phosphate rock from 20.01 wt% (group 1) to 24.24 wt% (group 2) after calcination and, finally, 27.24 wt% (group 3) after calcination, quenching, and disliming. It was further found that the concentration of relevant accompanying rare earth elements (Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, and Y) was increased and that the concentration of Cd could be significantly reduced from 30 mg/kg to 14 mg/kg with the proposed treatment. The resulting phosphate concentrate showed relatively high concentrations in metal oxides: Ʃ MgO, Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> = 3.63 wt% and silica (9.81 wt%) so that it did not meet the merchant grade specifications of a minimum P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> content of 30 wt% yet. Removal of these elements could be achieved using additional appropriate separation techniques.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/11/937thermal beneficiationcalcinationlow-grade phosphate rockSra OuertaneTunisia |
| spellingShingle | Noureddine Abbes Essaid Bilal Ludwig Hermann Gerald Steiner Nils Haneklaus Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock Minerals thermal beneficiation calcination low-grade phosphate rock Sra Ouertane Tunisia |
| title | Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock |
| title_full | Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock |
| title_fullStr | Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock |
| title_short | Thermal Beneficiation of Sra Ouertane (Tunisia) Low-Grade Phosphate Rock |
| title_sort | thermal beneficiation of sra ouertane tunisia low grade phosphate rock |
| topic | thermal beneficiation calcination low-grade phosphate rock Sra Ouertane Tunisia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/11/937 |
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