Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abstract.....................................................................................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................................................4
Classification.......................................................................................................................4
Formation..................................................................................................................................6
ViewsonFormation...........................................................................................................6
Occurrence.........................................................................................................................6
FeaturesofGraphiteDeposits...........................................................................................7
Specificationofgraphiteforvarioususes................................................................................8
USESOFGRAPHITE.............................................................................................................8
Specificationsforvariousapplications...............................................................................8
GraphiteResourcesanditsUtilization.....................................................................................9
WorldReview.....................................................................................................................9
GraphiteresourcesinIndia.....................................................................................................10
RESOURCES.......................................................................................................................10
EXPLORATION&DEVELOPMENT.....................................................................................10
PRODUCTIONinIndia.......................................................................................................10
State/GradeWisedistributionofGraphiteinIndia.........................................................11
GraphiteBeneficiationProcess...............................................................................................12
TypicalWetGrindingCircuitforhighgradeGraphite......................................................14
Graphitebeneficiationatotherlocations...........................................................................15
Panchmahal,Gujrat..........................................................................................................15
Minerologyandchemicalcharactersticsofthegivensample...............................................16
Experiments............................................................................................................................17
Test1:MoistureAnalysis.....................................................................................................17
Test2:VManalysis..............................................................................................................18
Test3:AshAnalysis.............................................................................................................19
Test4:SpecificGravity........................................................................................................20
Test5:HardgroveGrindabilityIndex...................................................................................20
Test6:SinkandFloatanalysis.............................................................................................21
Test7:FrothFlotation.........................................................................................................22
Results.....................................................................................................................................23
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................25
Bibliography............................................................................................................................27
ABSTRACT
Thepropertiesandoccurrenceofgraphitearoundtheworldhasbeenoutlined.Thevarious
types of graphite, its formation, and its major producers both locally and internationally
shave been reviewed. The major uses of graphite are pencils, lubricants, foundries,
electrodes,paintsetc.Theyrequiregradesofgraphiterangingfrom60%to99%.
Lowgradegraphitesamplescontaining1517%fixedcarbonfromPalamu,Jharkhand,India
have been investigated for characterization and amenability tobeneficiation.
Thegraphiteis of the crystallized flaky variety, and is associated with large proportion of
quartz and some feldspar and mica as dominant gangue minerals. The properties and
liberationofgraphiteandtheirimplicationsinbeneficiationaredescribedinthispaper.The
optimum liberation size of thegraphitewas determined to be below 200
m.Beneficiationstudiesindicatedthataconcentratewitharound50%fixedcarbon,ata
recovery of about 80% can be easily achieved by a single stage of froth flotation in a
conventionalflotationcell.
Building upon the data obtained as well established principles of mineral processing, a
methodofupgradingthegivensampletogradereaching8090%fixedcarbonormorehas
beenoutlined.
KEYWORDS
Industrialminerals;oremineralogy;liberation;frothflotation;
GRAPHITE
INTRODUCTION
Graphite,alsoknownasplumbagoorblacklead,isatypeofnaturallyoccurringcarbon.The
originofthewordgraphiteistheGreekwordgrapheinwhichmeanstowrite.Indeed,
graphitehasbeenusedtowrite(anddraw)sincethedawnofhistoryandthefirstpencils
were manufactured in England in the 15th century. In the 18th century, it was
demonstratedthatgraphiteactuallyisanallotropeofcarbon.
Itconsistsessentiallyofcarbonbutoftenimpurewithclays,ironoxides,andothergangue
minerals. It crystallises in a hexagonal system and has a lamellar form, a grey toblack
metallic lustre and feels greasy. In addition to natural graphite, synthetic or artificial
graphiteismanufacturedonalargescaleinelectricfurnaces,usinganthraciteorpetroleum
cokeasrawfeed.ThelatterisknownasCalcinedPetroleumCoke(CPC).
Graphiteisaverysoftmineralanditisaspecificgravityvariesfrom2.09to2.03.Itisan
excellentthermalandelectricalconductor.Thehighmeltingpointofgraphite,inabsenceof
oxygen, 3500C makes it suitable for a number of refractory applications. Excellent acid
resistanceandgeneralchemicalinertnessmakeitsuseidealinacidenvironmentsandother
chemical applications. Graphite fibres drawn from organic precursors, such as rayon,
polyacrylonitrileandtarpitchareusedasreinforcingcomponentsinpolymercomposites.
Graphiteisminedfromopenpitandundergroundmineoperations.Openpitoperationsare
moreeconomicaland,thus,arepreferredwheretheoverburdenisthinenoughtoremove.
Madagascar mines are mostly open pit type. In the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and Sri
Lanka, however, where the deposits are deep, underground mining is usually developed.
Higherpuritymaterialisobtainedbyfurthercrushing,grinding,andflotationsteps.
CLASSIFICATION
A useful classification of graphite depends on the mode of formation that leads to three
physically distinct common varieties: amorphous (microcrystalline) graphite, which has a
carbon content of 7085%; high crystalline graphite (lump, vein or crystalline vein), which
hasacarboncontentof9099%;andflakegraphite,whichhasacarbonrangeof8098%.
Flakegraphite(i.e.,flatplatelikegrainsfrom<1mmto2.5cminsize)issoldintwoparticle
size distributions: coarse flake (20 to +100 mesh) and fine flake (100 to +325 mesh).
Crystalline graphite ranges from chip or dust to fine or amorphous lump, to coarse or
crystallinelump.
Thetermflakeisselfexplanatory;flakeformsoccurdisseminatedinrock.Lumpgraphite
occurs in fissurefilled veins in pegmatite dykes, also associated with chips and the rarer
needle forms. Amorphous graphite occurs in beds that were once coal, but finegrained,
easilygroundveingraphiteisalsoclassifiedasamorphous.
FORMATION
VIEWSONFORMATION
Areviewofliteratureongraphitedepositsindicatesthattheyareformedbyoneormoreof
theprocessesmentionedbelow:
(a) METAMORPHISMThemetamorphismmighthavebroughtmineralizationofgraphite
byoneofthefollowingways:
(i)
metamorphismofcarbonaceouslayers,inwhichcasegraphiteoccursintheform
oflayers(Winchell1911;Clark1921a,andHarrington1947);
(ii)
recrystallizationoforganiccarbonasgraphiteduringmetamorphismgivingrise
tobeddeddeposits(Tilley1921;andAiling1921);
(iii)
metamorphism of sediments containing carbon impurities giving rise to
disseminatedoccurrences(Wadia1943;Mukherjee1965;andKrishnaRaoetal.
1971);
(iv)
Interaction of carbonaceous sediments with the gases derived from adjacent
intrusions for the graphite deposits at the contact of the intrusions (Brumell,
1908 quoted by Clark 1921a; Bastin 1912; Ailing 1918; Wilson 1920; Spence,
1920;Wadia1943;Bose1959;andKrishnaRaoetal.1971).
(b) DEOXIDATIONbydeoxidationofCO,fortheformationofveins(Winchell1911;Clark,
1921a;Tilley,1921;Clark,19216;Winchell,1921;Wadia1943;andMukherjee1965)or
by release of carbon as methane from carbonate (Salotti et al. 1971; 1972) and
formationofveins.
(c) PEGMATITEDEPOSITSthemineraloccursinacidintrusions(Clark1921,p.179;and
Wadia1943,p.16),orinmeteoritesandnephelinesyenites.
(d) PHYSICALMIGRATIONoffinegraphiteflakesalonggrainboundariesingraphitebearing
rocksalongapressuregradienttowardsfracturesduringtemporaryreleaseofpressure
underdeepseatedconditionsandforminggraphiteveins(Erdosh1970,1972).
OCCURRENCE
Graphiteoccurschieflyinthoserocksthathaveundergoneintensemetamorphismandthus
it is found in older gneiss and schists, crystalline limestone, carbonaceous material in
originalsandstone,shaleandlimestone,recrystallineintheformofgraphite.Itmayalsobe
productofcontactmetamorphismwhereigneousrocksintrudecarbonaceoussedimentary
rocks.
In Palamu district the main rocks associated in the graphite include various types of
metamorphosedsediments.Goodamountofgraphiteoccurshereasoriginalconstituentin
schistoserocks.Atsomeplacesitscloseassociationisfoundwithpegmatites,quartzveins
andgneissicrocks.
FEATURESOFGRAPHITEDEPOSITS
Some schistose rocks consist of essentially graphite, along with mica, quartz, and
feldspar.
Thegraphitebearinggneissicrocksaretraversedbyveinsandstockworksofgraphite.
Theveinsformanintricatenetworkinthehostrock.
The host rocks in which the veins of graphite are found to contain quartz, calcite,
dolomite,diopside,wollastonite,andtremolite.
Compressedandcontortedstructuresaredisplayedbythegraphitelodes.
The granitic intrusions are found at or near the graphite veins indicating their close
relationship.
Thegraphiteveinsoccurmostlyparalleltothecountryrocks,butthecrosscuttingjoints
inthelatterarealsooccupiedbygraphite.
Veins of calcite are frequently found traversing the host rocks (talcsilicate rocks) and
thegraphiteveins.
Graphite is not found in the acid intrusions, without the association of calciosilicate
rock.
SPECIFICATIONOFGRAPHITEFORVARIOUSUSES
USESOFGRAPHITE
Graphite being versatile mineral and due to its diversified properties, it finds important
placeinmanycruciallyimportantindustries.Itisusedinthemanufactureofspecialtypeof
electrodes,speciallubricantsandalsointheatomicreactorsintheformofbricks ofhigh
purity graphite. It is also used for foundry when casting iron, copper, aluminum and also
steelandmagnesiumunderspecialcondition.
Graphite fibers composite absorbs rather than reflects radar waves and so the use of
graphitecontinuestogrowrapidlyintheuseofradarmaskingstealthtechnologyandalso
inmakingothernonaerospaceweapons.Inthedevelopmentofplasticengine90%ofthe
componentswouldbemadeofgraphitefibersreinforcedcompositestobeusedinFord's
small car to make them lighter and quieter. Although much of the graphite used in
industriesismanufactured,naturalgraphiteisindispensableforcertainpurpose.
SPECIFICATIONSFORVARIOUSAPPLICATIONS
Specifications for graphite for use in various industries differ considerably and sometimes
the consumers specify for the grade of graphite they use. The following table is however
indicativeofthespecifications,foritsuseinsomespecificindustries.
Application
Refractories
Aluminagraphite
Type Ccontent
F
Min.85%
Crucibles
Expandedgraphite
AF
F
8090%
Min.90%
Foundrycoreandmouldwashes
Brake/clutchlinings
Bearings
Lubricants
AF
AFV
FV
AFV
7090%
Min.98%
9093%
9899%
Flake
150 500
m
+150m
200 1700
m
75m
<75m
+150m
53106m
Drycellbatteries
Alkalinebatteries
RecarburizingsteMinn.
Carbonbrushes
A
AF
A
AFV
MM.88%
Min.98%
9899%
9599%
85%<75m
575m
5m
<53m
Electrical
Pencils
Packingpaints
Polishes
Drillingmud(lubricating)
Explosives(controlburningrate)
FV
AF
FV
AFV
F
AF
9395%
9597%
8590%
8590%
80%+
65%
+150m
+150m
<150m
<150m
N/A
<150m
Nuclearreactors(moderators)
9395%
N/A
Boilers(scaleprevention)
50%+
N/A
Size
Bulkdensity4854gper100cm3
Freeofgrittyimpurities
About41bperbarrelofmud
Free from sulphides and acids. Low moisture
content
Free from high neutron absorbing elements.
e.g.boron
GRAPHITERESOURCESANDITSUTILIZATION
WORLDREVIEW
World production of graphite in 2008 was estimated to be 1100000 tons, showing a
significantincreasefromthe1995valueof741,000tons.Thefigureis,however,about20%
lessthanthatofpreviousyears.ThemostsignificantdecreaseinproductionwasinChina.
China continued to be the leading producer followed by India, Brazil, North Korea and
Canada.Thesecountriesaccountedforalmost90%oftotalworldproductionofgraphite.
Country
2005
2006
World
2000
2039
Brazil
76
76
Canada
17
15
China
1650
1730
India
126
124
Korea, Dem.E People's 30
30
Rep.of
Mexico
12
12
Russia
14
14
Ukraine
10
6
Zimbabwe
4
7
Othercountries
61
25
Source:WorldMineralProduction.20032007.
2007
2100
77
15
1800
116
30
10
14
NA
7
31
China leads the pack with over 800,000 ton per annum production alone. It is the largest
produceraswellastheconsumerofcommercialgraphite.Thecountryhasmorethanhalf
of the worlds top 12 producing companies. Its resources are located in Inner Mongolia,
Shandong,ShanxiandHeilongjong.
Indiaistheworld'ssecondlargestgraphiteproducerwithaproductionof140,000tonnes
perannum.ItsmajorsourcesarelocatedinOrissa.Brazilisthethirdlargestproducerwith
aboutathirdofthetotalworldreserves.Thegraphitemarkethasrecentlysufferedslowing
ofthepaceduetotherecenteconomicdownturn.
Europehasdeceleratedgraphiteproductionprimarilyduetoexhaustionofresourcesand
availability of cheap graphite from China. Africa has some serious reserves of graphite in
SouthAfrica,Uganda,Angola,Tanzania,EthiopiaandNamibia.
GRAPHITERESOURCESININDIA
RESOURCES
Graphite occurrences are reported from various states but the deposits of economic
importancearelocatedinAndhraPradesh,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Kerala,Orissa,Rajasthan
andTamilNadu.
AspertheUNFCsystem,thetotalresourcesofgraphiteason1.4.2005areplacedatabout
168.77milliontonnes,comprising10.75milliontonnesinthereservescategoryand158.02
million tonnes under remaining resources category. Resources containing +40% fixed
carbon constitute about 1.11 million tonnes and resources analyzing 1040% fixed carbon
21.23 million tonnes. Balance resources of 146.43 million tonnes fall under 'others',
'unclassified' and 'not known' grades. Out of total resources, Arunachal Pradesh accounts
for43%followedbyJammu&Kashmir(37%),Jharkhand(6%),TamilNadu(5%)andOrissa
(3%).However,intermsofreserves,TamilNaduhasleadingshareofabout37%followedby
Jharkhand(30%)andOrissa(29%)
EXPLORATION&DEVELOPMENT
GSI continued exploration for graphite in PuvandiArasanur and Usilampatti area in
Sivaganga district,Tamil Nadu. In Arasanur block, presence of graphite mineralization has
beenprovedforastrikelengthof1km.Theaveragewidthofthezoneisabout12m.and
overall average grade is 14% F.C. A resource of 0.76million tonnes of graphite (average
gradeof13%FC)hasbeenestimatedin200607.
In the westernextension of Arasanur block, a new block named Kiranurblock, was
investigated and the results were found tobe not encouraging. The west of the Kiranur
block,135meastofamineofM/s.V.Thiruvanavukasasu,atrench(KT1)acrossgraphite
gneissexposedthreebandsofgraphitehaving1.90m,2.5mand1.6mwidths.In200708,
Directorate of Geology, Jharkhand,carried out exploration to determine one million
tonnesgraphiteresourcesofpossiblecategorywereestimatedwithfixedcarboncontentof
5.95to23.47%.
PRODUCTIONININDIA
Orissawastheleadingpositioncontributingamajorshareofabout44%ofthetotaloutput
during200708,followedbyTamilNadu43%andJharkhandby13%(Tables2to5).Mine
headstockattheendoftheyear200708was45thousandtonnesasagainst72thousand
tonnesinthebeginningoftheyear.Theaveragedailyemploymentoflaborduring200708
was331asagainst490intheprecedingyear.
STATE/GRADEWISEDISTRIBUTIONOFGRAPHITEININDIA
Grade/State
Reserves
Proved
Probable
Total(A)
Feasibility
AllIndia:Total
ByGrade
+40%FC
10%40%FC
Others
Unclassified
Notknown
ByStates
AndhraPradesh
ArunachalPradesh
Gujarat
Jammu&Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
MadhyaPradesh
Maharashtra
Orissa
Rajasthan
TamilNadu
Uttarakhand
5163505
413639
4733667
15574
625
442537
1308
1553293
47600
3118767
1021869
77132
937943
6794
670448
6794
8300
336327
4564534
10749908
Remainingresources
Pre
Measur
feasibilit ed
12000
78386
930118
342807
3943249
210952
67526
833578
9614859
233320
67526
625
12000
37000
41386
80
930038
1135
2163106
188812
17762
1217349
165920
810450
1135
3276091
196914
26062
3106969
213520
3929217
12000
38900
39486
720000
35600
172032
2486
Total
Inferred
Indicated
51326
8740
2750
39836
2750
8740
29136
10700
5956595
16506673
Recon
Total
134489932
951
1596449
3283001
5882
1070312
238500
8952091
2330151
3127538
1858393
73897
61497720
72918315
276531
11614601
5613152
64633890
75886856
1110109
21229460
5846472
64701416
75887481
124758
2520805
1143701
18200
1148350
103281
250000
647500
301306
835000
1059520
5180124
52500
240418
1006660
1160000
1954721
1450034
3266390
72758257
61681035
24350
426064
72758257
3355805
62740555
7070925
70700
1424368
1006660
1160000
2315964
1700034
3984998
10700
427199
72758257
3355805
62740555
10347016
267614
1450430
1006660
1160000
5422933
1913554
7914215
10700
26290
Total
158025030
168774938
GRAPHITEBENEFICIATIONPROCESS
Asageneralrulethegraphiteoresarenotinsucharichstate,whentheycomefromthe
mine,astoadmitoftheirbeingatoncesentdirecttothemarket;theycontainmoreorless
impuritiessuchasoxideofiron,silica,aluminaandlimeoraresohardthattheycannotbe
employedatallintheirnaturalstate.Theymustbeenrichedbysomemeansoranotherso
thattheworthlessgangueorcountryrockmaybegotridof,thusincreasingthequantityof
carbonintheore.Themethodsofenrichingorrefininggraphitemaybedividedintothree
general systems. 1. Hand sorting. 2. Mechanical separation. 3. Chemical refining. The
mechanicalseparationisagainsubdividedintothedryorwetmethod.
Astohandsorting,thisispractisedinaveryefficientmannerintheAustrianandBavarian
mines, while no or scant attention is paid to this particular branch ofore dressing on the
North American continent. The choice of one or the other systems in the mechanical
separationorchemicalrefiningdependsentirelyuponthenatureoftheoretobetreated
and the purposes to which the finished product is to be applied, though too often the
selectionisbasedonchance,prejudiceandlimitedexperience.
The selection of the most profitable process and machinery for the treatment of a given
graphiteoreisofgreatimportanceinaminingenterprise;butassomeoresaresusceptible
ofsuccessfulworkingbymorethanoneprocessandinsuchcaseslocalconditionsmust
determinewhichmethodswillyieldthebestresultsitisnotpossibletolaydownexactrules
coveringallcases.
Flake graphite is usually too finely disseminated for hand sorting and cobbing methods,
whichareusedinfewcountriestorecovermassiveflakegraphite.Productionofgraphiteis
usuallyonlypossiblebyacombinationofcarefulgrindingandscreeningtorecovercoarse
flakes and by flotation to recover fine graphite. Flotation concentrates are sometimes
furtherbeneficiatedbytablingtoremoveassociatedganguemineralssuchasquartz,mica,
hornblende,feldspar,calcite,andsulphides.
Impurities tend to float with graphite since, being soft, graphite tends to smear and coat
impuritymineralsduringgrindingsothattheybehavelikegraphite.Thisisespeciallytrue
whenprocessingfinelydividedoresthatrequireextensivegrinding.Sizereductionisusually
accomplished by jaw, cone, or hammer milltype crushers; screening to recover coarse
flakesortorejectcoarsehardimpuritiesisaccomplishedbytrommelorvibratoryscreens.
The recovery of intermediate and fine flake graphite is possible by roll crushing, ball, rod
milling, or jet milling, followed by additional screening, air classification, wet tabling, or
flotation.Graphiteisnaturallyfloatableandparticlesascoarseas1mmmaybefloatedina
slightlyalkalinepHmedium.Pineoilandkerosenearethestandardreagentsandareusually
employed together. Pine oil acts as a frother. The function of kerosene or fuel oil is as a
promoter to recover unliberated graphite middlings. Flotation is fairly fast and multiple
cleaningsarenecessaryforrecoveriesof8085%;recoverycanbeimprovedbyregrinding
and reflotation, but careful regrinding is necessary to avoid the smearing of gangue
minerals and the production of slime graphite. Modifiers and depressants to improve
selectivityincludesodiumsilicate,whichactsasaquartzdepressantandslimedispersant,
andlacticacid,C3H6O3,whichisusedtodepressmica.Graphitemaybefurtherpurifiedto
99%carbonbychemicaltreatment,chloridization,orfluoridization.
Synthetic graphite, mainly produced in the United States, is made from a mixture of
petroleum coke or anthracite filler, coal tar, or petroleum pitch binder, and various
impregnating or additive materials. The coke or anthracite, which should contain 95%
carbonandhavealowsulphurcontent,iscalcinedtoremovevolatiles,ground,mixedwith
binderandothermaterials,andmoldedtotherequiredshape.Theproduct,knowninthe
trade as green bar or green stock, is then baked at 8001000C to convert the pitch
binder to coke and to solidify the shape. The resulting product is then graphitized by
heatinginanelectricfurnaceat26003000Coveranextendedperiod.Itisthencooledand
machinedtofinalsizespecifications(e.g.,theproductionofelectrodesturnedonlathesto
thedesireddiameterforuseinsteelminimills).
TYPI CALWETG
G RINDINGC
C IRCUITFO
ORHIGHGR
R ADEGRAP
P HITE
GRAPHITEBENEFICIATIONATOTHERLOCATIONS
PANCHMAHAL,GUJRAT
The ore is won by cutting trenches by manual labour and transporting it by trucks to the
beneficiatingplant.Themethodsareveryprimitiveandtheexcavationstartsfromsurface
outcropsofgraphiteoreandcontinuesalongthestrikeanddownwards.Rateofproduction
isslowandintermittent.Mostminesselltheirproductswithoutanybeneficiation.
ThesampleshadbeensenttoBhabhaAtomicResearchCentreforbeneficiationtests.They
were able to upgrade the materials from 6090 percent depending on the samples which
contained 1030% Fixed carbon. The tests carried out at Regional research Laboratory at
Bhubneshwarindicatedthatupgradationoforeupto95%waseconomicallyfeasible.
Sahu and Mungee (1972) have shown feasibility of upgrading ore from 25% to 55% with
around 50% recovery. Mild acid treatment before flotation reduces impurities and
repetition of flotation in identical cells further improve the grade. Multistage flotation
improvesrecoverybyover30%.
Mostofthemineralresourcesinourcountry(exceptingironoresetc.)arelowtomedium
ingradewhichneedbeneficiationinsomeformorothertomakethemsuitableforusein
mineral based industries. As such, these have to be upgraded to the desired specification
(within specified tolerance limits). Beneficiation of graphite includes gravity concentration
methods and also flotation. Sometimes chemical treatment like acid leaching and
chloridisationarealsoappliedforproductionofhighpuritygraphiteover99%F.C.
EXPERIMENTS
Experiments on graphite bearing ore are aimed to characterize the ore, to establish the
optimummethodtobeneficiatethegivengraphiteorewithmaximumpossiblegradeand
recovery. Due to unavailability of Indian standards for graphite characterization and
beneficiation procedures ASTM standards are adapted for the standardization of the
procedures.
TEST1:MOISTUREANALYSIS
ThegivensamplewastestedinaccordancewithASTMStandardsforflakegraphite.
The sample was pulverized to a size of 75 # in a pulveriser. The testing that followed
included heating the sample in a suitable container at a temperature of about 110 C for
durationof16hours.Thesamplewasleftovernightinanopenairoven.
Thesamplewasweighedinthelabusinghighprecisionelectronicbalancesbeforeandafter
thetestingtoobtainthefollowingdata:
Sample
Sample1 9.9497
9.859
0.0907
0.911585274
Sample2 9.9085
9.8033
0.1052
1.061714689
Sample3 10.2377
10.132
0.1057
1.032458462
Total
1.001919475
Theaboveanalysisindicatesthatthesampleisfairlydry.Thetracesofmoisturearemostly
harmlessandshouldposenoconcernineitherwetordryprocesses.
TEST2:VMANALYSIS
The standards for measuring Volatile Matter content of graphite were not available. It
forced us to modify existing standards to suit the purpose. Since graphite can easily
withstand high temperatures, an assumption was made to heat the sample to a
temperatureof900Cfordurationof10minutes.
Onegramofthesamplewegotinthelaststep(75#,dried)wasthentransferredtoaVM
crucible.TheVMcruciblewasthenputinsideafurnacepreheatedto900Cfordurationof
10minutes.Afterthestipulatedtime,thesamplewascooledandweighedinanelectronic
balance.Thedataobtainedwasthefollowing:
Sample
Sample1 1.09
1.0833
0.0067
0.614679
Sample2 1.0023
0.994
0.0083
0.828095
Sample3 0.9997
0.9926
0.0071
0.710213
0.7176%
TheresultofVolatilematteranalysisindicatesthatthereisnodiscernableVolatilematterin
the sample. The presence of low VM indicates that graphite can be processed and used
withoutmuchproblem.
TEST3:ASHANALYSIS
ThegivensamplewastestedinaccordancewithASTMStandardsforflakegraphite.
Thesamplewaspulverizedtoasizeof75#inapulveriser.Theprocedureoutlinedinthe
standardsstatesthatthesampleshouldbeintroducedinasilicadish.Thesamplewasput
in the silica dish so that a thin layer of sample covered the bottom of the dish (about 2
grams).Themufflefurnacetobeusedfortheprocesswaspreheatedtoatemperatureof
500C.Thetemperaturewasraisedto750Cslowlywithinonehour.Thiswasfollowedby
another200Cincreaseintemperatureinthefollowinghour.
Thesamplewaskeptatthisfinaltemperatureof950Cfor24hoursandwasperiodically
disturbed by a clean iron wire to expose surfaces to air. The sample was weighed twice
duringtheprocessanditwasdeterminedthattheentirecarbonhasbeenoxidized.Theend
productfailedtoshowanyblackparticles.Thesamplewasthenplacedinadesiccatorfor
coolingandweighedinanelectronicbalance.Theresultobtainedindicatedthefollowing:
Sample
Sample1 2.073
1.722
0.351
83.06802
Sample2 2.113
1.735
0.378
82.11074
Sample3 1.982
1.62
0.362
81.73562
82.30479
The ash percent of 82% is very high. The ash mostly contains quartz and sand particles.
Correcting for moisture and VM, the final Fixed Carbon percentage can be calculated to
around16%.Thisisadifficulttowashsampleandneedsmuchprocessingbeforeanyviable
productcanbeachieved.
TEST4:SPECIFICGRAVITY
Thegivensamplewastestedforitsspecificgravitywiththehelpofaspecificgravitybottle.
ThespgravityofKerosenewasfoundtobe0.82.
Usingthisvalue,andthespecificgravitybottle,thedensityofaconedandquartered75#
samplewasdeterminedtobe2.56.
ThespecificgravityofBromoformwasdeterminedtobe2.86
TEST5:HARDGROVEGRINDABILITYINDEX
Hardgrove grindability index is basically defined for coal, but in the particular case it has
alsobeendoneforgraphitetoevaluatebreakingcharacteristicsofthegraphite.Hardgrove
indexhasbeencalculatedas
HGI=13+6.93W
WhereWistheamountof200#materialobtainedaftertest
Weightof200# HGI
Sample1
4.80gm
46.264
Sample2
5.43gm
50.6229
AverageGardgroveIndex=48.45
The sample is thus very difficult to grind and the minimum amount of grinding must be
done.Otherwise,thegrindingcostcanmaketheprocesstooexpensive.
TEST6:SINKANDFLOATANALYSIS
Thegivensamplewaspulverizedtoasizebelow400micronsandthensubjectedtoasink
andfloatanalysis.
PREPARATIONOFDENSEMEDIA
Dense media was prepared by using Bromoform and Kerosene. The proportion of dense
media to be used was determined using mathematical equations. The exact volume of
ingredientsrequiredwasthusdetermined.Densemediawaspreparedatdifferentdensities
rangingfrom2.7to2.4g/ccat.1intervals.
SINKANDFLOATTESTS
Thesamplewasfloatedinthedensemediapreparedandtheamountofsinkandfloatin
eachdensityclasswasdetermined.
Sp
Gravity
2.4
2.42.5
2.52.6
2.62.7
2.7
wt%
cumwt%
3.116348406
13.52310641
47.31312558
26.12337616
9.924043444
3.116348406
16.63945482
63.95258039
90.07595656
100
Theflotationtestclearlystatesthatmostofthemassisconcentratedinthedensityrange
of2.52.6g/cc.Thisisprimarilyduetopresenceofdensequartz.
ASHANALYSISOFFRACTIONS
An ash analysis of each of these fractions was performed to better understand their
characterstics.TheprocedureisalreadyoutlinedinTest3.
Sp
Gravity
2.4
2.42.5
2.52.6
2.62.7
+2.7
wt%
Ash%
3.116348406
13.52310641
47.31312558
26.12337616
9.924043444
60.6
70.35
77.36
84.86
89.77
Theashanalysisconfirmstheearlierinferencethatmostoftheparticlesofasharefinely
disseminatedanddifficulttoliberateatasizeof400microns.Asizereductionbelow200
micronswillbenecessarytoliberatethegraphiteproperlyfromquartz.
TEST7:FROTHFLOTATION
The given sample was pulverized and screened to obtain a size passing a screen of 400
microns.
CONDITIONING
Thefeedwaspreparedwithapulpdensityof1.5g/ccusing496gramsofsample.Graphiteis
anaturallyfloatablemineralandisthuseasytofloat.
Conditioningisperformedtoachievethefollowing:
AlkalinepH:additionofabout.5gofNaOHpelletstotheconditioningtank.AlkalinepHis
showntoimproveflotability.
Quartzdepressant:Sodiumsilicateselectivelydepressesquartz.Itproveshugelybeneficial
inflotation.Italsoactsasslimedispersant.
Conditioner: Kerosene itself is used as a conditioner. It is highly effective in graphite
flotation.
Frother:Pineoilwasaddedtostabilizethefrothlongenoughtoremovetheconcentrate.
FLOTATION
The froth was collected at fixed intervals of 30seconds upto 3 times for each sample.
FloatationcellusedisaDenverlaboratoryfloatationcellhavecapacityof3l,thismachine
hasbeenchosenasgraphiteneedsmoreforceforlifting,thusmoreagitation.Thesamples
weredriedinanairovenandweighed:
Tailing
323.2
1.87
0.089
2.359
0.660 0.086026162
030sec
70.03
0.67
0.3835
57.23
0.143 0.452209878
3060sec 64.08
0.908
0.479
47.75
0.131 0.345216262
6090sec 32.6
1.365
0.434
31.79
0.067 0.116933791
489.91
TheFlotationtestsindicatethataproductwith60%FCcaneasilybepreparedbyasingle
stageflotation.
RESULTS
By the above experiments and data collection most appropriate method for recovery of
bestpossiblegradeofgraphitecanbeselected.
Bytakenintoconsiderationsofthesizeoftheore,andtheneedofthesizeliberationfor
the process size reduction is usually accomplished by jaw, cone, or hammer milltype
crushers;
screening
to
recover
coarse
flakesortorejectcoarsehardimpuritiesisaccomplishedbytrommelorvibratoryscreens.
Therecoveryofintermediateandfineflakegraphiteispossiblebyrollcrushing,ball,rod
milling,followedbyadditionalscreening,airclassification.
Thedatacollectedformfloatandsinktestandfloatationtestcanbeanalyzedtocheckthe
amenabilityoforebeneficiationbyeveryprocess.
35
30
25
20
Carbon%
15
10
5
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CummWt%
SinkandFloattest:FloatCurve
Fromtheabovefloatcurveithasbeenestimatethatgradegreaterthan31%carboncant
be achieved by the gravity separation method. This practical result can be theoretically
justified as the density of graphite and other gangue matter as quartz, etc are too close.
Since 31 % carbon graphite is not used in any application, thus there is no mean is
upgradingcarboncontentofgraphitefrom16%to31%.
Floatationisalsoanalyzedinthesamewaytocheckitsamenability.Thedataoffloatation
timeandgraderecoveredisplotinafollowinggraph.
58
57
56
55
54
CummCarbon% 53
52
51
50
49
48
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Floatationtime
Sinceitcanbeseenthatthegradeofalmost58%canbeachievedatgoodrecoveryof15%
and grade of 51% can be achieved at recovery of 80%. Thus the process is effective in
upgradationoflowgradegraphiteore.Thiscanbetheoreticallyjustifiedasthegraphiteis
naturallyfloatablematerial.
CONCLUSION
Graphiteisnaturallyfloatableandparticlesascoarseas1mmmaybefloatedinaslightly
alkaline pH medium. Pine oil and kerosene are the standard reagents and are usually
employed together. Pine oil acts as a frother. The function of kerosene or fuel oil is as a
promoter to recover unliberated graphite middling. Flotation is fairly fast and multiple
cleaningsarenecessaryforrecoveriesof8085%;recoverycanbeimprovedbyregrinding
andrefloating,butcarefulregrindingisnecessarytoavoidthesmearingofgangueminerals
and the production of slime graphite. Modifiers and depressants to improve selectivity
includesodiumsilicate,whichactsasaquartzdepressantandslimedispersant,andlactic
acid,C3H6O3,whichisusedtodepressmica.
Graphite may be further purified to 99% carbon by chemical treatment, chloridization, or
fluoridization.
Floatation as a process can be improved by using cleaner circuits in series for better
recoveryofhighgradegraphite.
Thusthegraphiteobtainedhavecarboncontent58%,itcanbeusedinvariousapplications
likefoundries,conductivecoatings,boilers.Etc.However,afterupgradingthisgraphiteby
various methods of multicleaning flotation process and chemical methods, it can be used
foranyapplication.
FLOWSHEETOFATYPICALGRAPHITEUPGRADATIONCIRCUIT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. GraphitedepositsofDevgadBaria,Panchmahal,GujratScopefordevelopmentBL
Narayana
2. IndustrialMineralsLaboratoryManualFlakeGraphiteCJMitchell
3. ThebrightsideofgraphiteAlexandraFeytis,July2010industrialminerals
4. GraphiteMichelDumont
5. GRAPHITERustuS.Kalyoncu
6. AreviewonbeneficiationprospectofsomeofthegraphitedepositsofBiharP.N.
Pathak,M.V.RanganathanandD.M.Chakraborti