The limitations of flotation technique in processing complex Um Nar BIF: exploring sustainable alternatives
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Mostafa A. Metwally
Mostafa A. Metwally is an assistant lecturer at the Department of Mining & Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Qena, Egypt. The areas of scientific interest include mineral beneficiation and upgrading through gravity, magnetic, flotation, leaching and reduction roasting techniques, and the upgrading of iron ores using green reducing agent such as biomass and industrial wastes.
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Mohamed G. Farghaly
Mohamed G. Farghaly is the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Qena, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral concentration, beneficiation & upgrading through gravity, flotation and magnetic separation techniques. It includes also, the treatment of liquid and solid industrial waste using green physical techniques such as hydrocyclone for recycling, and the sedimentation, filtration, and drying techniques.
Atef M. Ramadan is a professor at the Department of Mining & Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral concentration, beneficiation & upgrading through gravity, flotation and magnetic separation techniques, the treatment of liquid and solid industrial waste using green physical techniques and the treatment of industrial waste water using natural products such as minerals and industrial wastes.
Ahmed S. Abdel-Fattah is an associate professor at the Department of Mineral Beneficiation and Agglomeration at Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute (CMRDI), Helwan, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral beneficiation and upgrading through nanobubbles flotation, fine/ultra-fine separation, electrostatic, magnetic, and gravity separation.
El-Sayed R. E. Hassan is an associate professor at the Department of Mineral Beneficiation and Agglomeration at Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute (CMRDI), Helwan, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral beneficiation and upgrading through gravity, flotation, magnetic separation, leaching and reduction roasting techniques.
Abstract
Iron is essential for industry and the economy. It is used in construction, transport, and manufacturing. However, its extraction remains challenging due to geological complexity. Iron ore is tightly interlocked with silica, which limits the efficiency of conventional beneficiation methods. This study investigated the upgrading of the Um Nar Banded Iron Formation using froth flotation, including micro-scale tube and column flotation. Both anionic and cationic reverse flotation routes were explored. It was found that using anionic reverse flotation is more effective than cationic reverse flotation for upgrading the Um Nar Banded Iron Formation (BIF). Under optimal conditions (i.e. collector type: oleic acid, dosage: 1 kg t−1; calcium oxide dosage: 0.25 kg t−1 (as activator); pH 11; and starch dosage: 0.75 kg t−1 (as depressant)), a concentrate with 58 % total Fe grade, 71 % total Fe recovery, and 10.75 % SiO2 was produced at superficial air flow rate of 2.00 cm s−1, which was attributed to the intricate mineralogy of the ore. To overcome the limits of flotation, the study used reduction roasting with biomass sawdust as a green reductant. After roasting, a low-intensity wet magnetic separation was applied. This two-step process yielded improved results, achieving a Fe grade of 59.55 %, a Fe recovery of 78 % and a SiO2 content of 5 % in the concentrate, rendering it suitable for processing complex iron ores.
About the authors
Mostafa A. Metwally is an assistant lecturer at the Department of Mining & Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Qena, Egypt. The areas of scientific interest include mineral beneficiation and upgrading through gravity, magnetic, flotation, leaching and reduction roasting techniques, and the upgrading of iron ores using green reducing agent such as biomass and industrial wastes.
Mohamed G. Farghaly is the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Qena, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral concentration, beneficiation & upgrading through gravity, flotation and magnetic separation techniques. It includes also, the treatment of liquid and solid industrial waste using green physical techniques such as hydrocyclone for recycling, and the sedimentation, filtration, and drying techniques.
Atef M. Ramadan is a professor at the Department of Mining & Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral concentration, beneficiation & upgrading through gravity, flotation and magnetic separation techniques, the treatment of liquid and solid industrial waste using green physical techniques and the treatment of industrial waste water using natural products such as minerals and industrial wastes.
Ahmed S. Abdel-Fattah is an associate professor at the Department of Mineral Beneficiation and Agglomeration at Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute (CMRDI), Helwan, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral beneficiation and upgrading through nanobubbles flotation, fine/ultra-fine separation, electrostatic, magnetic, and gravity separation.
El-Sayed R. E. Hassan is an associate professor at the Department of Mineral Beneficiation and Agglomeration at Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute (CMRDI), Helwan, Egypt. The area of scientific interest includes mineral beneficiation and upgrading through gravity, flotation, magnetic separation, leaching and reduction roasting techniques.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their sincere gratitude for workers of the laboratories of the Department of Mineral Beneficiation and Agglomeration at Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute (CMRDI).
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: All authors take full responsibility for the content of this manuscript and have approved its submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
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Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this article.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
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© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Household Washing
- Effect of dosing aid size and consumer age on detergent dosage and discrepancies between perceived and measured laundry load in household washing
- Applications
- Impact of detergents on okra seed germination, plant growth and soil properties
- The limitations of flotation technique in processing complex Um Nar BIF: exploring sustainable alternatives
- Preparation and evaluation of hydroxymethylated betaine surfactant for enhanced recovery application
- Physical Chemistry
- Physical chemistry of nanoparticle reinforced polymer fracturing fluid system with high temperature resistance
- Novel Surfactants
- Scrutinizing self-assembly, interfacial properties and antimicrobial behavior of pyrrolidinium-based monomeric surfactants
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Household Washing
- Effect of dosing aid size and consumer age on detergent dosage and discrepancies between perceived and measured laundry load in household washing
- Applications
- Impact of detergents on okra seed germination, plant growth and soil properties
- The limitations of flotation technique in processing complex Um Nar BIF: exploring sustainable alternatives
- Preparation and evaluation of hydroxymethylated betaine surfactant for enhanced recovery application
- Physical Chemistry
- Physical chemistry of nanoparticle reinforced polymer fracturing fluid system with high temperature resistance
- Novel Surfactants
- Scrutinizing self-assembly, interfacial properties and antimicrobial behavior of pyrrolidinium-based monomeric surfactants
