Zeolites are hydrated crystalline aluminosilicate minerals of natural occurrence, structured in rigid third dimension net that can be used as slow release plant-nutrient source. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of plant growth substrate under zeolite application, enriched with N, P and K, on dry matter yield and on nutrient contents in consecutive crops of lettuce, tomato, rice, and andropogon grass. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, with 3 kg pots with an inert substrate, evaluated in a randomized block design with three replications. Treatments consisted of four types of enrichment of concentrated natural zeolite: concentrated zeolite (Z) only, zeolite + KNO3 (ZNK), zeolite + K2HPO4 (ZPK) and zeolite + H3PO4 + apatite (ZP), and a control grown in substrate fertilized with a zeolite-free nutrient solution. Four levels of enriched zeolite were tested: 20, 40, 80, and 160 g/pot. Four successive crops were grown on the same substrate in each pot: lettuce, tomato, rice, and andropogon grass. Results indicated that N, P and K enriched zeolite was an adequate slow-release nutrient source for plants. The total dry matter production of above-ground biomass of four successive crops followed a descending order: ZP > ZPK > ZNK > Z.

The loss of iron-bearing minerals to the tailings, especially in the finest fractions (−44 μm), is a problem that must be endured due to the depletion of deposits containing high-Fe hematite. The two main mechanisms for iron mineral loss in the froth in reverse cationic flotation are hydrodynamic dragging and true flotation. This last one being attributed to failures in the conditioning processes regarding the depression of iron mineral by starch. In this work, two industrial mechanical flotation circuits located in Minas Gerais—Brazil, namely Conceição Itabiritos II and Pico, operating with mineralogically distinct iron minerals, had their tailings analyzed in order to attribute reasons for the iron-bearing minerals losses. Liberation studies excluded losses due to the presence of composite particles where hematite was combined to silica or goethite. The method known as two-liquid flotation was applied to the several particle fractions present in the tailings to evaluate the particles surfaces hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity. The results indicated that for Conceição Itabiritos II, the loss of iron minerals was due to a combination of true flotation and hydrodynamic dragging. True flotation probably took place because of depression failure. For Pico, the results revealed that most of the iron-bearing particles were lost due to hydrodynamic dragging. The shape factor and terminal velocity, both obtained via permeametry, confirmed the two-liquid flotation results. Two-liquid flotation was shown to be a fast and simple method to qualitatively assess the hydrophobicity of particles in froth flotation, thus allowing quick improvements in the process.

Phosphate flotation performance can be influenced by the dissolution kinetics of the minerals that compose the ore. The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of dissolution kinetics on flotation response with oleate (collector) of calcites from different origins and genesis. The calcite samples were first purified and characterized by x-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and the Rietveld method applied to x-ray Diffractometry data (RXD). Experiments of calcite dissolution and microflotationwere performed at pH 8 and pH 10.The pH effect on the calcite dissolution and flotation indicates the possible influence of the carbonate/bicarbonate ions provided by the CO₂ present in the air. In addition, the flotation response is greater as the dissolution increases, making more Ca²⁺ ions available to interact with collector molecules. This result corroborates the surface precipitation mechanism proposed foroleate adsorption on the calcite surface.

Since the start-up of the Sossego copper concentrator, located in the Carajás Mineral Province in the southeast of Para State, Brazil, the low-grade ore (~0.34% Cu) has been stockpiled, as defined in the long-term mine plan, to be reclaimed at the end of the mine life. Given this imminent need to process around 40 Mt of this low-grade ore, questions have been raised related to the extent of oxidation that might have occurred in this stockpiled ore. In this context, a study was designed to characterize the stockpiled ore and assess the effect of the ore oxidation on its flotation response. A sampling campaign of the stockpiled ore was carried out to analyze the main variables that could influence the level of oxidation, and, consequently, copper recovery, such as stockpiling time, depth, and particle size. The results showed that there are two main factors negatively impacting the copper recovery of the low-grade stockpiled ore: the surface oxidation and the level of liberation of the copper mineral. Depth and period of stockpiling were not found to influence the level of oxidation, nor the flotation response. An empirical model was proposed for the copper recovery in the rougher stage, which resulted in a predicted value of 90.7%, which was lower than that for the fresh (and higher copper content) ore fed to the plant (93%).

O ouro é encontrado freqüentemente na natureza associado a sulfetos, como pirita e arsenopirita. Geralmente, tais sulfetos são concentrados por flotação para posterior tratamento hidrometalúrgico. A flotabilidade dos sulfetos minerais depende do balanço hidrofílico/hidrofóbico, que é induzido, respectivamente, pelos produtos de oxidação formados nas superfícies minerais e pelo processo de adsorção do coletor, que, por sua vez, não pode ser completamente interrompido pela presença da camada de produtos de oxidação. No presente trabalho, foram tomadas medidas de potencial de repouso de pirita e de arsenopirita, indicando que tais minerais, após adição de solução de H2O2 10 % v/v a 1 mL/min, são oxidados a Fe(OH)3 e FeOOH, respectivamente. As voltametrias cíclicas indicaram que, tanto para a pirita, quanto para a arsenopirita, as espécies responsáveis por conferir hidrofobicidade aos sulfetos (xantato férrico e dixantógeno, respectivamente) se formam em potenciais mais elevados, na presença de produtos de oxidação em suas superfícies. Medidas de potencial de repouso indicaram que a pirita sofre oxidação com formação de Fe(OH)3, entretanto, ao ser interligada à arsenopirita, torna-se catodicamente protegida e, portanto, menos suscetível à oxidação. Quando nitrogênio foi borbulhado na solução, o potencial de repouso da arsenopirita, ao ser interligada à pirita, atingiu valores mais elevados, sugerindo que nessa interação ela se comporta anodicamente.