Investigations of alkylmorpholines––collectors for a new halite flotation process

In recent years the industrial application of a new flotation process has been initiated, namely the reverse flotation of carnallite, the beneficiated carnallite being obtained as a cell product of halite flotation, the latter being carried out with alcylmorpholine as cationic collector. The technology of carnallite reverse flotation has been applied to the industrial processing of the Dead Sea solar salts (Israel, Jordan). Using this technology, beneficiation of carnallite ores from Verkhnekamskoye deposit (Russia) has been developed. Results of sorption and flotation property investigations on alcylmorpholines with various compositions are presented. The possibility of increasing the efficiency of alcylmorpholine operation and of decreasing their consumption by a factor of 1.5–2 is shown. Technological and reagent schemes have been developed for the negative suppression of clayey-carbonate slimes in halite flotation. The possibility of application of halite flotation for potash ore pre-benefication has been discussed. The results of the investigations enabled the cost of beneficiated carnallite production to be decreased and the area of halite flotation implementation to be extended.