FPM 08 Negm Abouzeid
FPM 08 Negm Abouzeid
FPM 08 Negm Abouzeid
Most of the existing phosphate rocks are of low grade. For the production of marketable phosphate
commodity, these low grade ores need upgrading before being utilized. Large quantities of solid-
waste materials, with considerable amounts of P2O5 content are generated in phosphate processing
plants. In addition of being environmental hazards and a source of pollution for air, water and soil,
these waste materials add to the production cost for waste removal. The positive use of mineral proc-
essing plant tailings is becoming a common practice nowadays, to avoid pollution hazards and to im-
prove the techno-economics of the mineral processing plants. In this paper, the solid-waste of Se-
baeya phosphate washing plant, Upper Egypt, was successfully used to produce a high grade phos-
phate concentrate, to produce aggregates for road paving and for concrete mixes, in brick manufactur-
ing, pottery making, and direct application for improving agriculture soils.
key words: phosphate, wastes, aggregates, road paving, concrete mixes, brick, pottery, agriculture
soil
INTRODUCTION
Phosphate occurs in all igneous and sedimentary rocks in the form of phosphate
minerals. However, most of the economic recovery of phosphate is of sedimentary
origin. The world production of phosphate rock was 146 Tg in the year 2006. Most of
the phosphate rock is produced by open-pit mining rather than underground min-
ing.Most phosphate rocks as mined are of low-grade and need beneficiation. Benefi-
ciation plants produce large quantities of waste materials relatively high in P2O5 con-
tent, which are considered as environmental hazard and a source of pollution of air,
water and land. In addition, disposal of these materials represents a loss of valuable
natural resource and adds additional cost to the production for waste removal. Dis-
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∗ Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mining. Giza 12613, Egypt
6 A.A. Negm, A.-Z. M. Abouzeid
posal of ore processing plant tailings is a major environmental problem, which is be-
coming more serious with increasing exploitation of low grade ores and deposits due
to depletion of rich ones (Negm, 1997). The method used to dispose tailings have
been developed due to the environmental pressures, changing milling practice and
realization of profitable applications (Abouzeid, 2007). Early methods included dis-
charge of tailings into rivers and streams which still practiced at some mines, and the
dumping of coarse dewatered tailings on to land (Down, 1977). An alternative for the
disposal of mineral processing tailings is the positive use of it, either in the raw state
or after further processing (Down, 1977). Accordingly, utilization of waste mineral
slimes discarded by ore milling plants is becoming a common practice to avoid pollu-
tion hazards and to improve the techno-economic feasibility of new mining projects.
The concept of waste utilization is appealing because it offers two major advantages:
1- waste dispersal problem may be reduced or eliminated, 2- conservation of re-
sources, by partly replacing natural material. There are three obvious positive uses for
tailings. Firstly, they may be reprocessed to recover additional values, secondly, all or
a portion of tailings may be used for backfill applications, and thirdly, the tailings
may be used as one of the raw materials to manufacture higher values products (Mi-
chael, 1979)Processing of Sebaeya phosphate ore yields huge amounts of solid wastes
and slime clayey fractions. It is estimated that approximately 1.5 megagrams (Mg) of
coarse waste(-80mm) and about 1.0 Mg of slimes (–100 µm) are accumulated as stock
piles or in tailing ponds. These wastes cause environmental and waste disposal prob-
lems. Therefore, this study is devoted to find some alternative uses for these wastes,
to reduce their accumulated quantities as well as their enviromentals harms and
change them into value-added products. These alternatives can be summarized as fol-
lows:
• obtaining a phosphate concentrate product
• manufacture of bricks suitable for non–load bearing walls
• pottery making
• aggregates for road bases and sub-bases
• aggregate for plain concrete
• direct application as natural fertilizer.
tailings in the tailing pond is estimated to be over 1.0 million ton assaying 12-19%
P2O5. These accumulated quantities of waste constitute an environmental hazard and
must be reduced and removed. It is advantageous to change these wastes into useful
product through mineral processing techniques in order to get high-grade marketable
concentrate.
BRICK MAKING
Clay is one of the most abundant mineral material on earth. For production of
brick, clay must, however, posses some specific properties. Clay must have plasticity,
which permits them to be shaped or molded when mixed with water, and it must have
sufficient wet and air-dried tensile strength to maintain their shape after forming. Also
when subjected to raising temperatures, the clay particles must be fused together.
Clay bricks are used for an extremely wide range of applications in an equally ex-
tensive range of buildings and engineering structures (El-Wageeh, 1995). Among the
most common applications are partition walls, party walls, claddings and facings,
foundations, paving and floorings.
Bricks are classified according to their variety, quality, and type as follows:
1) varieties: common bricks, facing brick sand engineering bricks
2) quality: internal quality, ordinary quality and special quality
3) types: solid, perforated, hollow, and special shapes and standard.
The physical and mechanical properties of different types of bricks are mentioned
in many texts (Nash, 1966). The most important properties are water absorption 20-
32 %, compressive strength 30-40 kg/cm2, and dimension 25x12x6 cm.
POTTERY MAKING
Phosphate slimes, which is a waste material produced from the beneficiation of
phosphate ore, can be used in pottery making because it contains very fine clay and
clay-like minerals suspended in water (Robertson, 1986). These slimes can be also
used with kaolin, feldspar and quartz for the production of satisfactory ceramic tiles.
portant role, especially in medium and low volume roads. As a sub-base, they protect
the soil acting as a working platform and insulating layer against frost action.
The substantial benefits of using these waste materials for road building purpose
can be summarized in the reduction of costs, in addition to the solution of the envi-
ronmental problems.
Crushed rock, mine and mill refuse, and tailings can be used locally in low volume
roads, where a lower quality aggregate is more appropriate. The solid wastes gener-
ated from the beneficiation of phosphate ores can be used as cheap local waste mate-
rials, for road and rail roadbeds. This positive use of wastes can be applied in the ar-
eas surrounding the mining zones in roads with less traffic.
Surface
concrete design usually based on this property. Normal strength concrete of grades
between 180 to 300 kg/cm2 is widely used in usual building. Aggregates generally
occupy about 70 to 80 % of the volume of concrete and can therefore be expected to
have an important influence on its properties.
Aggregates must conform to certain standards for optimum engineering use: clean,
hard, strong, durable, practically free of absorbed chemicals, coatings of clay, and
other fine materials in amounts that could affect hydration and bond of the cement
paste. It is generally advantageous to use as large size of aggregates as possible, al-
though experimental investigations have indicated that the improvement in the proper-
ties of concrete with an increase in the size of aggregate does not extend beyond about
40 mm. The normal sizes of coarse aggregate used in concrete mix in Egypt are 40,
20 and 10 mm. Generally, the maximum nominal size of 40 mm is 15x15x15cm
(Internet, 2003). They are made in a specified manner, allowed to set, and then cured
in the laboratory in a humid room until a specified age. Proper curing requires water
and a favorable temperature. Usually the strength is determined 28-day after casting
because this is the design strength or common specified strength. However, 7-day
strength may also be obtained either as an indication of the expected 28-day strength
or as a specified strength.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using solid waste of mill
tailings (over screen reject of Sebaeya phosphate company) as a substitution of natu-
ral coarse aggregate in a Portland cement concrete mix to produce concrete with com-
pressive strength able to satisfy the construction purposes of small buildings.
mill to minus 0.5mm. The particle size analyses of these prepared wastes are given in
Table 1. For pottery making the phosphate slimes and shale were ground to minus 250
micrometers. Table 2 gives the chemical analysis of the used materials.
frother, and amount of kerosene. Pure oleic acid was used as a collector while pine
oil, Aerofroth 70 and Aerofroth 65 were used as frothers. A sample of rice bran oil
supplied by El-Nasr Mining Company was also used as a collector to compare with
the oleic acid.
a) Effect of solid /liquid ratio(s/l)
The 0.7 kg/Mg dose of collector gave a reasonable concentrate grade and recovery.
c) Effect of feed size
From the above table it can be seen that the suitable size for flotation was -
250+40 µm with a higher weight recovery and concentrate assay of more than 30 per-
cent P2O5.
12 A.A. Negm, A.-Z. M. Abouzeid
It is seen from the above table that Aerofroth 65 is superior to other types of frothers.
e) Effect of collector type
Oleic acid as a collector gave better results. However due to the low price of rice
bran oil (as a by-product), we recommend its use in flotation.
f) Effect of the amount of kerosene
Attrition scrubbing gave better grade and recovery than disc grinding.
The result of the present study of production of high grade concentrate from waste
material of the phosphate washing plant of Sebaeya, the following remarks can be
concluded:
1. for a successful flotation process using oleic acid as a collector, it is necessary
to remove slime particles less than 40 µm as it has a bad effect on grade and re-
covery of the flotation process
2. it was possible to obtain a high-grade concentrate of more than 30 percent P2O5
at a 10 percent solids in a single stage flotation process
3. the optimum dosage of collector was 0.7 kg/Mg at P2O5 31.2 % and a recovery
of 95 %. Rice bran oil was also successfully used as a collector
4. optimum results of flotation were obtained for feed size range of -250+40 µm.
This fraction was about 35% of the original sample because the coarse and
slime fractions were relatively low in P2O5
5. different types of frothers were used and Aerofroth 65 gave the best result
6. it is necessary to use sodium silicate to depress silica and kerosene as a collect-
ing aid
7. attrition scrubbing of the feed is better than grinding in a ball mill or disc
crusher
8. magnetic separation step prior to flotation reduced the iron content of the con-
centrate
9. a proposed flow sheet is suggested to obtain a high grade concentrate from this
waste material.
as it retains high percentage water. Bricks made from the slime fraction and
shale show good qualities.
5. Coarse solid wastes can be used in concrete mix without seriously hindering its
mechanical properties.
6. Concrete of about 240 kg/cm2 compressive strength is obtained, which is suit-
able for the construction of small buildings.
7. The present study matches society's needs for safe and economic disposal of
mill tailing of phosphate ores.
Feed
Hammer Crusher
+20mm
Aggregates for concrete And road
Screens
paving
- 20+10 mm
-10mm
Attrition Scrubber
+2mm
Vibrating screens
Aggregates for
- 2+1mm road paving
-1mm
-1+0.25mm
Vibrating screens
-0.25 mm
-40um
Hydro-cyclones
-0.25+0.04mm
Magnetic
Magnetic Separator
Non-Magnetic
Flotation
Fig.2. Proposed flow sheet for flotation of Sebaeya low grade phosphate
Utilization of solid wastes from phosphate processing plants 15
SUMMARY
1. Approximately 1.5 megagrams (Mg) of coarse waste (-80 mm) and 1.0 Mg of
slimes averaging 22 % and 15 % P2O5 respectively have been stock piled at El-
Mahameed area (East Sebaeya) rejects from the phosphate processing plant.
2. Laboratory-scale tests revealed the technical feasibility of retreatment of the
coarse waste to produce a concentrate of more than 30% P2O5 at over 90% re-
covery. The proposed flow-sheet comprises crushing, attrition scrubbing,
desliming and direct flotation of phosphate using oleic acid or rice bran oil as
collectors. Some equipment of the existing plant may be used in the proposed
retreatment mill.
3. Full-scale tests proved the possibility to produce fired bricks from a blend of
90% phosphate slimes and 10% shale with acceptable properties concerning
compressive strength, bulk density and slake durability. The same mix could be
used for the production of pots and jars of reasonable quality.
4. The coarse phosphate waste can be utilized as aggregates in concrete mix to ob-
tain concrete of more than 240 kg/cm2 compressive strength as well as the con-
struction of low volume roads.
5. The ultra-fine fraction (-40 micrometers) discarded from the flotation process
feed proved to be a suitable raw material for pottery and brick making.
6. Green house experiments showed the possibility of direct application of phos-
phate tailings in both sandy and calcareous soils at high levels of phosphate up-
take which is comparable to commercial super phosphate fertilizers.
REFERENCES
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Miner. Process. vol. 85, no. 4, 58-89.
16 A.A. Negm, A.-Z. M. Abouzeid
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DOWN C.G.; and STOCKS J., July 1977'' Environmental problems of tailings disposal'' , Mining
Magazine, 25-33.
Internet communication, 2003 ''Unbound granular materials for road pavements''
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NASH, W.G., 1966 ''Brick work 1'', Hutchison Technical Education , London, 1-13.
ROBERTSON, D.J., 1986,'' Evaluation of phosphate clay and other wastes for construction Products''
Florida Inst. of Phosphate Research, 1-12.
RODRIGUEZ , H.; and FRAGA.R. 1999 '' Phosphate solublizing bacteria and their role in plant growth
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Proc. of the Int. Symp. of fine particles processing, AIME, Vol. 2, 1709-1729.
Negm A.A., Abouzeid A.-Z. M., Wykorzystanie odpadów stałych po przeróbce fosforytów, Physicoche-
mical Problems of Mineral Processing, 42 (2008), 5-16 (w jęz. ang)
Większość skał fosforytowych ma niską zawartość fosforu i wymagają one wzbogacania prze wyko-
rzystaniem. Dlatego duŜe ilości odpadów stałych o podwyŜszonej zawartości P2O5 są generowane w za-
kładach przerabiających fosforyty. Są one szkodliwe dla środowiska oraz źródłem zanieczyszczania po-
wietrza, wody oraz gleby, a takŜe generują koszty związane z usuwaniem odpadów. Wykorzystanie odpa-
dów przeróbczych staje się więc obecnie codzienną praktyką dla uniknięcia zanieczyszczenia środowiska
oraz dla zwiększenia ekonomiki zakładów przeróbczych. W pracy z powodzeniem wykorzystano odpady
fosforytowe z zakładu przeróbczego Sebaeya w Górnym Egipcie do produkcji wysokiej jakości materia-
łów do produkcji kamieni stosowanych do utwardzania dróg oraz produkcji składników cementu, cegieł
oraz fajansu, a takŜe bezpośredniego wykorzystania do nawoŜenia gruntów rolniczych.
słowa kluczowe: fosforyty, odpady, kamienie drogowe, składniki cementu, cegły, fajans, grunty rolnicze