Barite and Magnetite Production from Phosphate Rock Ore by Jigging

Barite (BaSO4) is the most important source of barium and the main input in drilling mud production for oil and natural gas industry. It also has important applications in steel, chemical, paper, rubber, plastics and others industries. In 2012, the state of Goias/Brazil produced 148.8 tons of barite concentrate, corresponding to 80% of Brazilian production. All barite in Goias is produced by froth flotation, which restricts its use as drilling mud. Nowadays, the Anglo American Phosphate Brazil generates about 2 million tons of tailings per year (average grade of 6% barite and 36% of magnetite) in the phosphate rock concentrate processing, which is disposed in the tailings dam. The barite production in this company, with minimal metallurgical recovery of 60%, would generate an increase of 38.6% in Brazilian production (equivalent to 75.7% of imports of this mineral) and an increase of US$ 11.5 million per year to the GDP of the state of Goias and in the company's income. The reduction of the material sent to the tailings dam will increase its useful life, reducing potential environmental impacts in its heightening and/or construction of new dams. The enrichment of tailings by jigging for the extraction of magnetite and barite is explained due to the different densities of the involved minerals, simplicity and low cost of operation of the equipment. For the experimental procedure was used magnetite and quartz. Results indicate a mass enrichment of magnetite and a decrease in quartz grade regarding the two operational variables analyzed (feed size and pulse frequency).