BAUXITE PROCESSING METHOD Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: mining industry.

SUBSTANCE: method comprises washing of bauxite with water simultaneously with grinding, multistep separation of resulting pulp on hydrocyclones, leaching of separated sands in Bayer branch, and separation of sands from effluent and sintering thereof. According to invention, hydrocyclone separation is effected at least in three steps and sintered are sands from the last steps, whereas sands from preceding steps are leached. Drain from the last step is withdrawn from process. Separation of pulp in all but the first stages is effect on a hydrocyclone series wherein diameter of apparatus diminishes in each next step. Number of separation steps is found from summary content of kaolinite and goethite in the last-step drain.

EFFECT: enabled concentration of bauxite due to removal of finest fraction, mainly kaolinite and goethite, reduced losses of aluminum hydroxide and alkali, reduced consumption of flocculant, and reduced loading of sintering furnaces.

3 cl, 4 dwg, 1 tbl