Fluorite Beneficiation Process: Technological Advances and Future Prospects

Introduction

Fluorite (CaF₂), a critical non-metallic mineral, serves as the primary raw material for fluoride-based products and is widely used in metallurgy, chemical engineering, construction, optics, and defense industries. With the depletion of high-grade fluorite resources, efficient beneficiation technologies for complex multi-gangue low-grade fluorite ores have become a focal point. This article synthesizes the research by Zhang Qian et al. to outline technological advancements and future trends in fluorite beneficiation.

Current Fluorite Beneficiation Techniques

Conventional fluorite beneficiation relies on froth flotation, supplemented by gravity and magnetic separation. However, complex ores (containing quartz, calcite, barite, or sulfides) pose challenges such as poor selectivity and unstable concentrate quality. Key strategies include:

• Quartz-rich ores: Silicate suppression using sodium silicate or fluosilicate.

• Calcite-rich ores: pH adjustment (8–9.5) and tannin-based depressants.

• Barite-rich ores: Starch-based depressants and optimized flotation circuits.

• Sulfide-associated ores: Pre-removal of sulfides to avoid interference.

Table 1 Quality Standards for Fluorite Concentrates

Technological Innovations

1. Reagent System Optimization

• Automated dosing systems: Real-time ore composition monitoring enables dynamic reagent adjustment. For example, precise Na₂CO₃ addition (pH 6–10) increases CaF₂ recovery to >97%.

• Novel reagents: Combined use of depressant YN-12 and collector KY-110 elevates CaF₂ grade from 82.16% to 98.28% while reducing SiO₂ to 0.59%.

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Table 2 Fluorite Flotation Performance (Partial Data)

2. Flotation Column Technology

Flotation columns simplify the traditional multi-stage process, achieving a "roughing-cleaning" circuit with higher pulp density (40% vs. 7–20%) and reduced reagent consumption (e.g., from 2000 g/t to 1000 g/t), yielding concentrates with 95–97% CaF₂.

3. Integrated Beneficiation-Chemical Treatment

For ultrafine-grained ores (-0.074 mm占比83.62%), a hybrid "flotation-acid leaching" process is proposed:

• Pre-flotation: Obtains coarse concentrates (85% CaF₂).

• Chemical leaching: Dilute HCl removes residual carbonates, finalizing concentrates with 99.95% CaF₂ and<0.5% SiO₂.

Future Directions

1. Intelligent systems: AI and IoT-driven automation for reagent and parameter optimization.

2. Eco-friendly reagents: Development of low-toxicity, biodegradable depressants and collectors.

3. Tailings valorization: Recovery of rare elements (e.g., WO₃, BaF₂) from tailings.

4. Ultrafine particle processing: Advanced techniques like nano-bubble flotation for -10 μm particles.

Conclusion

Beneficiation of complex fluorite ores requires optimized reagents, streamlined processes, and resource efficiency. Current advancements in automation, column flotation, and hybrid methods have enhanced recovery rates. Future innovations in smart technologies and sustainability will further drive the efficient utilization of fluorite resources.