Key process mineralogy parameters for rare earth fluorcarbonate-bearing carbonatite deposits: the example of Songwe Hill, Malawi
Al-Ali, S; Wall, F; Fitzpatrick, R; et al.Broom-Fendley, S; Rollinson, G; Brady, AE; Pickles, JR; Williams, A; Dawes, W
Date: 24 September 2020
Journal
Minerals Engineering
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Rare earth element (REE)-bearing carbonatite deposits commonly contain a wide
range of different REE- and REE-bearing minerals associated with various gangue
matrices. In order to select the most-suitable mineral processing technique for these
deposits, it is essential to identify and quantify the minerals of interest, including ...
Rare earth element (REE)-bearing carbonatite deposits commonly contain a wide
range of different REE- and REE-bearing minerals associated with various gangue
matrices. In order to select the most-suitable mineral processing technique for these
deposits, it is essential to identify and quantify the minerals of interest, including their
liberation, associations and grain size distribution, along with whole rock compositions.
These data are also vital for ore feed optimisation and metallurgical troubleshooting
during and after designing a mineral processing flowsheet. This paper summarises the
key mineralogical parameters needed before conducting metallurgical beneficiation
tests, using the Songwe Hill carbonatite deposit as an example. This REE ore deposit
consists of poorly-liberated synchysite-(Ce), which hosts the light rare earth elements
including Nd plus some heavy rare earths and well-liberated apatite, which hosts 50%
of Gd, 63% of Dy and 71% of Y (heavy rare earth elements) in the deposit. For all REE
heavier than Gd, apatite is the most important REE host, however, for the two REE
where data are available in both synchysite-(Ce) and apatite (Dy and Y), synchysite27 (Ce) still accommodates >25% of the whole-rock HREE content. Both of these ore
minerals are associated with ankerite, calcite, and to a lesser extent with iron
oxides/carbonates, K-feldspar, strontianite and baryte. According to the quantitative
mineralogical data, the possibility of using gravity separation, magnetic separation,
froth flotation and leaching to process Songwe Hill carbonatite ore is discussed and a
potential beneficiation flowsheet is presented.
Camborne School of Mines
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