Realizing clean technology principles for the mining and processing industry in the Arctic region

The production of apatite concentrate in the Arctic region of the Russian Federation is carried out using technology developed during the middle of the twentieth century. One of the most energy-consuming and environmentally dangerous stages of this technology is the drying of raw concentrate. Energy for drying is obtained from combustion of fuel oil, which leads to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. This study analyses the drying step in the apatite production process to optimize the environmental and economic aspects of this process. The characteristics of apatite concentrate during heating was studied through synchronous thermal analysis. Mass loss was determined during each stage. It was observed that drying of apatite concentrate does not require high temperatures, which are achieved in drum chambersthrough fuel oil combustion. Therefore, drying with flue gases is inexpedient. A method that involves dewatering the concentrate, which can be considered a form of clean technology and does not involve fuel oil combustion, is proposed. The results of this study can be used to modernize the current technology for the production of apatite concentrate.