¹Mining Institute of the Kola Science Center RAS, Apatity, Russia ; ²Murmansk Arctic State University, Apatity, Russia:

G. V. Mitrofanova, Leading Researcher¹, Associate Professor of the Department of Mining of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering²
E. V. Gromov, Senior Researcher¹, Associate Professor of the Department of Mining of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering², e-mail: evgromov@list.ru

Mining Institute of the Kola Science Center RAS, Apatity, Russia:
A. V. Artemev, Researcher
E. V. Chernousenko, Researcher

The depletion of phosphorus-containing raw materials necessitates the involvement of poor apatite-containing ores, including apatite-nepheline ores, into processing. For such types of ores (with a P₂O₅ content of 6–6.5%), it is economically reasonable to consider only complex processing, estimating potential selection of all useful components. The case study object was the poor apatite-nepheline ore from one of the standby deposits located at the Khibiny rock massif (the Kola Peninsula). It is shown that, the mineral composition of the ore being studied is specific not only by low content of apatite by also an increased amount of dark-colored minerals and nepheline. At that, the ore from the upper horizons contains sphene up to 15–16%, which makes it possible to yield high quality sphene concentrate. In order to increase the efficiency of the flotation separation of nepheline and dark-colored minerals, new reagent regimes are proposed, characterized by maximum selectivity. A characteristic feature of the investigated apatite-nepheline ore is the increased content of rare-earth elements, accumulated with apatite and sphene. The distribution of rare-earth elements in the processing products was analyzed. An enlarged feasibility study was performed of the efficient involvement of poor apatite-nepheline ore in complex processing with producing five concentrates and the possibility of separating rare-earth elements. The prerequisites for extraction along with apatite concentrate of strontium and rare earths are shown, which will increase the recoverable value of ore by 3 and 5 times, respectively.

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