The present work has the objective of investigating the possibility of the reuse of residual amines resulting from the process of reverse flotation of iron ore. Bench-scale flotation tests were performed at pH 10.5 with starch as the depressant of iron oxides and the amines Flotigam EDA 3B and F 2835 as silica collectors. Each waste effluent from these trials was submitted to solid/liquid separation via vacuum filtration. The liquid containing residual amine was reutilized in a second flotation trial where the concentration of the new reagent was determined. Utilizing the water containing the residual amine together with new quantities of collectors, it was observed that it was possible to reduce the consumption of this reagent by as much as 50%. A desorption test of the amines contained in the solid waste was performed by putting different masses of the residual in contact with water of different pH values. The results revealed that more than 95% of the amine added could be recovered.
Reverse flotation; recycling; fatty amines
