Nine samples of Fe-bearing minerals from several mines of Vale were the object of this work, which aimed to make a correlation between mineralogy and morphology versus flotation depression by starch and carboxy methyl cellulose. They did not demand strong action from depressants. Cornstarch was able to depress all the samples, except those that exhibited high HC content. The latter samples could be regarded as "problematic" because they were able to interact strongly with collector and demanded a high dosage of depressant to accomplish full depression. Carboxy methylcellulose did not show depressive action on any of the studied Fe-bearing minerals. Flotation response of the samples, which are rich in HC, could be minimized by the action of starch conditioned at pH 8.0-8.5, increasing Fe recovery in the process.
Hematite; starch; flotation; depression; morphology
