Recovery of minus ten micron cassiterite by liquid-liquid extraction

Fine-size cassiterite can be recovered by a liquid-liquid extraction process using low molecular weight petroleum derivatives and Aerosol-22 as collector. Parameters investigated in this study were pH, collector concentration, and rate of agitation. Depending on agitation rate and collector concentration, rougher concentrates can be up-graded by single cleaning to about 9% tin with a recovery of approximately 78%. After a second cleaning step, recovery decreases to about 50%, while grade increases to about 14% tin. The average tin enrichment ratios (related to the feed) are 6 and 9.4 respectively.