A Mini Review on Flotation Techniques and Reagents Used in Graphite Beneficiation

Abstract

Due to its numerous and major industrial uses, graphite is one of the significant carbon allotropes. Refractories and batteries are only a couple of the many uses for graphite. A growing market wants high-purity graphite with big flakes. Since there are fewer naturally occurring high-grade graphite ores, low-grade ores must be processed to increase their value to meet the rising demand, which is predicted to increase by >700% by 2025 due to the adoption of electric vehicles. Since graphite is inherently hydrophobic, flotation is frequently used to beneficiate low-grade ores. The pretreatment process, both conventional and unconventional; liberation/grinding methods; flotation methods like mechanical froth flotation, column flotation, ultrasound-assisted flotation, and electroflotation; and more emphasis on various flotation reagents are all covered in this review of beneficiation techniques. This review also focuses on the different types of flotation reagents that are used to separate graphite, such as conventional reagents and possible nonconventional environmentally friendly reagents.