Application Of Electrostatics To Concentration Of Coarse Pebble Phosphate

High-grade concentrates from Florida pebble phosphate deposits have long been recovered by wet methods. When work was begun in the field, only the coarse pebble (generally +1 mm) was recovered. In the 1920's a froth flotation process was developed to separate quartz from the finer phosphate fractions, but this method proved unsatisfactory for treating the intermediate fraction (-1 mm +35 mesh). Consequently various other processes were adapted, including agglomerate tabling and spiral separation of reagentized feed. Today the three processes are used-washing and screening for coarse pebble, tabling or spiraling for intermediate sizes, and flotation for -35 mesh material.