The Brazilian processing flowsheet that is used to concentrate both the rich and complex manganese ores is constituted by size reduction and size classification. The particles with size below 0.106mm normally are discharged as waste. So it is very important for the mineral industry to develop flowsheets and processes in order to improve the global manganese recovery and to reduce the environmental impact with these wastes that are deposited on the land. In this work is presented an anionic froth flotation comparative study between two different anionic collectors (sodium oleate and soybean oil soap) and sodium silicate depressant to concentrate the silicate-carbonated manganese ore waste that was constituted mainly by rodocrosite, rodonite, espessartite, clinoclore, quartz, annite and flogopite minerals. It was observed that at pH 11 the SiO2 content in the feed (28.1%) was reduced by 11 and 8% for sodium oelate and soybean oil soap, respectively.
Manganese ore; froth flotation; fatty acid
