Author(s)

Oladunni Oyelola Alabi^1*, Shehu Aliyu Yaro², George Thomas Dungka², Ferdinand Asuke², Binta Hassan¹

¹National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos, Nigeria.
²Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

The comparative beneficiation study of Gyel columbite ore using double stage (magnetic-to-magnetic and magnetic-to-gravity), located in the vicinity of Gyel village in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State to metallurgical grade was carried out. The ore sample was sourced from 20 different pits each 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 meters deep, 50 meter apart covering a land of 50 hectares. The samples from the 20 pits were crushed, pulverized and homogenized. 200 kg of the homogenized ore sample was used for the experiment and laboratory works. Chemical characterization of the ore sample was carried out using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XFR). Single and double stage concentration tests using magnetic and gravity methods were carried out respectively. The results of the chemical analysis of ore sample reveal that, Pit 1 contains 12.26% Nb₂O₅, 21.6% Fe₂O₃, 36.1% SiO₂; Pit 20 contains 4.78% Nb₂O₅, 19.34% Fe₂O₃, 23.96% SiO₂ and the homogenized sample contains 6.71% Nb₂O₅, 23.1% Fe₂O₃ and 27.0% SiO₂ averagely. The liberation study reveals that the niobium of ore can be liberated over a range of sieve size fractions of -355 + 63 μm for the coarse and -63 + 45 μm for the fine particle size fractions. On the basis of this, sieve size fractions of -1400 + 355 μm (as coarse size), -355 + 90 μm (as medium size) and -90 + 45 μm (as fine size) were used for the concentration tests. The concentration test using the double stage processes revealed that the air-floatation followed by rapid magnetic method produced a concentrate with the highest percent assay of 54.48% Nb₂O₅ with a recovery of 96.53% followed by the rapid-to-rapid magnetic method which produced a concentrate assaying 52.12% Nb₂O₅ with a recovery of 86.96%. These results meet and surpass the 50% Nb₂O₅ stipulated as the acceptable metallurgical grade concentrate for niobium metal production in the literature.

Beneficiation, Gyel Columbite, Metallurgical Grade, Homogenization, Characterization

Alabi, O.O., Yaro, S.A., Dungka, G.T., Asuke, F. and Hassan, B. (2016) Comparative Beneficiation Study of Gyel Columbite Ore Using Double Stage (Magnetic-to-Magnetic and Magnetic-to-Gravity) Separation Techniques. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, 4, 181-193. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2016.42017.