Molybdenum Flotation Process

Molybdenum ore can be categorized into single molybdenite, copper-molybdenum ore, and molybdenum-containing polymetallic ore. The commonly used processes for molybdenum ore beneficiation are flotation, re-election, and magnetic separation.

For molybdenite separation, two-stage regrinding of the coarse concentrate and multiple flotation processes are employed to obtain a high-grade concentrate with minimal environmental impact.

In the case of copper-molybdenum ore separation, priority flotation and mixed flotation processes are typically used. Priority flotation involves separating molybdenum first, followed by copper. Mixed flotation involves separating molybdenum from copper-molybdenum concentrate.

For the separation of polymetallic molybdenum ores, which may contain other metals like tungsten, bismuth, or gold, flotation is commonly used to produce a mixed rough concentrate. This mixed rough concentrate is then subjected to further separation based on the different properties of associated metals. Magnetic separation, gravity separation, and leaching are often employed in combination with flotation for this purpose.

Molybdenum Processing Plant

The process of molybdenum ore beneficiation involves several steps, including crushing, grinding, flotation separation, and drying.

1. Crushing: The molybdenum ore is initially crushed by the jaw crusher and then further crushed to a suitable size by the fine jaw crusher.
2. Grinding: The crushed ore is then fed into a ball mill and ground to a particle size below 200 mesh. This grinding process ensures that the ore meets the requirements for the subsequent flotation process.
3. Flotation separation: The ground ore is mixed in a tank and then sent to a flotation machine for the flotation operation. Different flotation reagents are added based on the mineral characteristics, and the mixture is stirred and adjusted to promote the separation of valuable minerals.
4. Drying: The molybdenum concentrate obtained from the flotation process is subjected to a drying step. A high-efficiency thickener is used to remove the water content in the concentrate, resulting in the production of molybdenum concentrate.

The described processing steps and equipment are suitable for sorting various complex and sulfide minerals found in molybdenum ores, such as single molybdenite, copper-molybdenum ore, molybdenum-bismuth concentrator, and other associated molybdenum ore concentrators.