Maximising the Recovery of  Flaky  Graphite in Beneficiation Process

The process involves attriction technique to maximise the recovery of flaky graphite (-600+210 micron) with a more yield of 20-30%   in beneficiation process. The cost of flaky graphite  is more than the fine powder. CSIR-IMMT can take up project from process development to commercial installation of graphite beneficiation plant. 

The fixed carbon in graphite ore varies in general from 2-30%. The liberation size in most of the graphite particle is less than 1 mm. Each ore contains flaky as well as amorphous graphite. It is general trend in the graphite ore that the flaky percentage increases when fixed carbon increases. Graphite is hydrophobic particles in nature. The gangue minerals are silicate and alumina bearing minerals. .In traditional process, the ore is ground to its liberation size, and then it is floated in conventional flotation cell. During grinding the ore in ball mill, the flaky graphite breaks down because of its flat surface to a shorten size. As a result, the recovery of flaky graphite goes down in the present practice.The market demand of flaky at particular coarse size has high demand as well as cost is also too high. The process was developed by him to recover the flaky graphite by introducing the attrition technique before grinding circuit. It has been observed that additional 20-30% flaky graphite can be produced from the same by introducing the attrition technique.

• Recovery of flaky graphite 
• Cost effective beneficiation process