Author(s)

C. I. Nwoye, M. C. Menkiti, E. Obidiegwu, N. E. Nwankwo

Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria..
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,Nigeria..
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Lagos..

This paper presents a model derived for quantitative evaluation and prediction of the concentration of phosphorus removed during pyro-hydro beneficiation of iron oxide ore. Potassium hydroxide was used as the leaching solution and the reaction vessel containing the solution and ore was heated at a temperature of 600℃ for 10 minutes. The results of the investigation indicates that the model; P = (e^0.7827) S predicts the concentration of phosphorus removed, based on the concentration of sulphur simultaneously removed. It was observed that the validity of the model is rooted in the expression lnP = lnN + lnS where both sides of the expression are approximately equal to 4. The maximum deviation of the model-predicted concentration of removed phosphorus from the corresponding concentration obtained from the experiment was less than 3%. The concentrations of phosphorus removed per unit mass-input of iron oxide ore as obtained from experiment and derived model are 0.8917 and 1.0354 mg/kg g^-1 respectively. Similarly, the concentrations of phosphorus removed per unit concentration of removed sulphur as obtained from experiment and derived model are 1.8838 and 2.1874 mg/kg (mg/kg)^-1 respectively. This implies that the concentration of phosphorus removed is approximately equal to the concentration of simultaneously removed sulphur during the beneficiation process.

Model, Phosphorus Removed, Pyro-Hydrometallurgy, Potassium Hydroxide, Iron Oxide Ore.

C. Nwoye, M. Menkiti, E. Obidiegwu and N. Nwankwo, "Model for Quantitative Evaluation and Prediction of the Concentration of Phosphorus Removed during Pyro-Hydro Beneficiation of Haematite," Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, Vol. 10 No. 7, 2011, pp. 637-650. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2011.107049.