A new phenomenon has been identified and studied – the impact of bacteria on the benefication process of non-sulphide ores using circulating water supply - a case study of apatite-nepheline ore. It is shown that bacteria deteriorate the floatability of apatite due to their interaction with active centres of calcium-containing minerals and intense flocculation, resulting in a decrease of the flotation process selectivity thus deteriorating the quality of concentrate. The dominating bacteria in circulating water are related to ?-Proteobacteria including Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas alcaliphila, Ps.plecoglossicida, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila. A method of non-sulphide ores flotation has been developed with consideration of the bacterial factor. It consists in use of small concentrations of sodium hypochlorite, which inhibits the development of bacteria in the flotation of apatite-nepheline ores. Bacteria and fungi producing acids and polysaccharidic mucus into environment carry out biogenous destruction of minerals. This process takes place during industrial waste conservation in tailing impoundments where loss of commercial elements and potential environment contamination can occur.
Real Time Impact Factor:
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Author Name: Galina A. Evdokimova, Aleksander Sh. Gershenkop, N. V. Fokina
URL: View PDF
Keywords: Apatite-Nepheline Ore; Circulating Waters; Bacteria; Flotation; Mineral Destruction
ISSN: 2169-642X
EISSN: 2169-6438
EOI/DOI:
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