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Multiscale Flotation Testing for the Recovery of REE-Bearing Fluorapatite from a Finnish Carbonatite Complex Deposit Using Conventional Collectors and Lignin Nanoparticles
Laboratory of Metallurgy, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, Iroon Polytechniou 9 str., Athens, 15780, Greece.
GTK Mintec, Geological Survey of Finland, Tutkijankatu 1, Outokumpu, 83500, Finland.
Laboratory of Mineral Processing, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, Iroon Polytechniou 9 str., Athens, 15780, Greece.
Laboratory of Mineral Processing, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, Iroon Polytechniou 9 str., Athens, 15780, Greece.
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2025 (English)In: Minerals, E-ISSN 2075-163X, Vol. 15, no 6, article id 614Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Apatite and rare earth elements (REEs) are vital to the European Union’s economic growth and resource security, given their essential roles in fertilizers, green technologies, and high-tech applications. To meet rising demand and reduce reliance on imports, the exploitation of domestic deposits has become increasingly important. This study investigates the beneficiation potential of ore from a carbonatite complex (Finland), focusing on the recovery of fluorapatite concentrate through froth flotation. This research addresses two key objectives: evaluating the potential for REE enrichment alongside fluorapatite concentration using conventional anionic and amine-based reagents, and assessing separation efficiency when partially substituting the most effective conventional collectors with bio-based organosolv lignin nanoparticles. Adequate recovery rates for apatite and REEs were achieved using common anionic collectors, such as hydroxamate and sarcosine, yielding P grades of 23.4% and 21.5%, and recoveries of 96.4% and 89.2%, respectively. Importantly, concentrate quality remained stable with up to a 30% reduction in conventional collectors and the addition of organosolv lignin. Bench-scale trials further validated the approach, demonstrating that lanthanum and cerium recoveries exceeded 71%, alongside satisfactory apatite recovery. Lignin nanoparticles were observed to interact with both minerals; however, the interaction was more pronounced in the case of phlogopite, which exhibited a markedly greater increase in surface hydrophilicity following treatment, suggesting a stronger affinity or surface modification effect, which was beneficial to the performance of the separation process.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) , 2025. Vol. 15, no 6, article id 614
Keywords [en]
froth flotation, apatite, Rare Earth Elements (REEs), organosolv lignin, phlogopite
National Category
Metallurgy and Metallic Materials
Research subject
Biochemical Process Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-114018DOI: 10.3390/min15060614ISI: 001520701800001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105009024422OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-114018DiVA, id: diva2:1982558
Note

Validerad;2025;Nivå 2;2025-07-08 (u2);

Full text: CC BY License;

Funder: EIT Raw Materials research and innovation program, Proposal Number 19392;

Available from: 2025-07-08 Created: 2025-07-08 Last updated: 2025-11-28Bibliographically approved

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Christakopoulos, Paul

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