Experimental study on beneficiation of phosphate-rare Earth Ore occurring in Kuanchuanpu area, Ningqiang county of Shaanxi province

The northern edge of Yangzi Platform is rich in phosphate ore and the phosphorus-bearing stratum of Niutitang Formation is accompanied by rich rare earth. The Kuanchuanpu Phosphorus Mine in Ningqiang County, Shaanxi Province is a low-grade phosphate deposit found in the 1960s. The phosphate ore minerals are mainly collophanite （carbon fluoroapatite）,mud,quartz,calcite, dolomite, pyrite and carbon, in which the P₂O₅ grade ranges between 1.13%and 21.03%. Phase analysis indicates that the P₂O₅ with a content of 5.08% in fluorocarbon apatite has a distribution rate 97.65%. Based on experimental researches on mineral processing of associated rare earth in phosphate ores in southern Shaanxi,in which the selected ore grade P₂O₅ 5.49% and rare earth （REO） 505.40×10^-6,a good beneficiation effect has been made by means of "flotation-two acid immersion-step precipitation extraction phosphorus and rare earth smelting process",achieving Ca₁₀（PO₄）₆（OH）₂ product （HG / T3583-2009）,P₂O₅ grade 38.45%,P₂O₅ recovery rate 78.69%,REO grade 1.59% with REO recovery rate 74.53%.