Studies on the use of locally manufactured soaps as alternative collectors for the flotation of iron ores

Abstract

Industrially approved collectors are known to be expensive in the mining sector, which raises production costs. This research shows how three locally manufactured soaps can be used as an alternative for collectors in the flotation process. The chemical composition of the iron oxide sample was determined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The soaps were graded according to total fatty matter, free caustic alkali, and lather volume to demonstrate their quality. The iron oxides, which made up 67 % of the total weight, were floated with naphthalene as a frother and locally manufactured soaps, namely Key soap, Alata soap, and Azumah Blow soap, at a collector dosage of 0.6 ml, 1 ml, and 1.4 ml. This was done to establish which soap is the most efficient collector and the dosage that results in the best recovery. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) was used to determine the iron content that reported in the feed, concentrates and tailings. Optimum collector dosage was 1 ml, with Alata soap generating the highest recovery of 70.5 %, which compares well with conventional collectors used in iron oxide flotation.  The studies also revealed that the total fatty matter, free caustic alkali, and lather volume of locally made soaps have a positive influence on the flotation of iron oxide. However, only Key soap met all the specifications for soaps by the Ghana Standards Authority.