Applicable technologies for the development of low-to-medium grade phosphogypsum

Thread Content

I’m very happy to see this news, as the phosphorus chemical industry has taken another step forward; I wanted to share it with everyone first. The mineral processing technology developed through collaboration between Wuhan University of Technology and relevant institutions has enabled the flotation of medium- and low-grade phosphogypsum ore at room temperature for the first time, opening up an effective pathway for the development, utilization, and processing of Yunnan Province’s 2.05 billion tons of medium- and low-grade phosphate ore resources. Yunnan has phosphate ore reserves of 2.28 billion tons, of which over 90% is refractory medium- to low-grade collophane. At the current extraction rate of 10 million tons per year, the reserves of high-grade ore will last less than 10 years; it has therefore become urgent to exploit low-grade phosphate ore resources. However, at present, the utilization rate of international medium- and low-grade phosphate rock resources is low, and the mining process has a severe impact on the environment. The technology for the development and utilization of low-grade phosphogypsum developed by Wuhan University of Technology enabled the flotation of such low-grade phosphogypsum at room temperature for the first time. By using the developed process, high-quality concentrate was obtained, which not only allowed for the full utilization of resources and a significant reduction in the amount of waste generated during processing, but also facilitated the recycling of wastewater. Additionally, it reduced the amount of waste rock and slag discharged, thus helping to protect the environment.