ArrMaz provides phosphate flotation solutions for Brazilian mining operations

Brazil phosphate mines will soon face lower quality deposits

As Brazilian miners extract phosphate deposits from higher quality mines and max out these resources, they will have to turn to processing lower quality ores to meet phosphate demand. Unfortunately, these deposits are likely to contain more undesirable levels of impurities such as barite, dolomite and/or silica than current mineral flotation processes can handle. Removing barite, dolomite and silica impurities is challenging but necessary to achieve the phosphate grade needed to convert the phosphate ore into phosphate quality fertilizer, while still being able to selectively float phosphate and substantially depress iron.

While Brazil’s current, technologically advanced reverse flotation processes already float barite away from phosphate, the demands of future, lower grade deposits will require more sophisticated collectors that can manage widely varying ore and processing conditions. Brazilian phosphate rock producers will be challenged to make grade – as too much silica and dolomite will make it difficult to convert the phosphate rock into phosphate quality fertilizer. But ArrMaz is here to help them meet this challenge. ArrMaz works with Brazilian miners/mineral processors to customise a collector system and flowsheet design specifically for their ore and process, with the goal of simplifying the process by combining flotation steps so that multiple impurities can be floated away in one step, enabling maximisation of phosphate grade and recovery. The lower the rock impurities, the better the fertilizer processing and value.

Investment in phosphate flotation solutions research and development pays off

ArrMaz is already the leader in dolomite and silica flotation in other major phosphate producing regions around the world. As the leading expert in this fundamental technology, ArrMaz has 20 years (and counting) of research and development invested into engineering next-generation, proprietary formulations, and surfactants that are ideally suited to solve Brazil’s unique phosphate flotation challenges. Brazil’s agriculture industry is indispensable to the global food market. ArrMaz remains committed to investing in lab and plant resources in the area and developing partnerships with Brazilian phosphate mining operations that are vital in the production of fertilizers. Its proven innovations and advanced collector technology deliver better grade, higher value, quality rock, as well as improved recovery. The result is longer mine life, lower cost per tonne, and a consistently reliable supply at a stable price.

The ArrMaz advantage

Customisation is the ArrMaz advantage that separates its solutions from the stock products of its competitors. The company tailors its collectors to customer-specific ores and work with mineral processors to adapt to their current processing equipment whenever possible to keep capital costs down. ArrMaz provides in-plant process consultation to match the collector to the customer’s ore to ensure optimum performance. Additionally, its engineers are capable of modifying the custom collector as the ore or process changes to ensure optimal mineral grade, recovery and cost performance of Brazilian phosphate mineral processing operations.

Brazil’s advanced and technology-driven phosphate market is fundamental to the country’s agriculture industry which feeds the world. As crop production continues to expand, so too will the demand for high quality phosphate fertilizer. Mining companies operating in this area can continue to rely on ArrMaz to provide world-class, custom flotation solutions that have been our hallmark for over five decades.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/handling-processing/01112018/arrmaz-provides-phosphate-flotation-solutions-for-brazilian-mining-operations/