Engesser, John2017-06-202017-06-201999-10https://hdl.handle.net/11299/188533Final ReportA research project supported by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Iron Ore Cooperative Research Committee was undertaken to 1) evaluate the problems related to cation exchange mechanisms that occur during wet grinding, flotation and balling and 2) investigate ionic formation and precipitation that occurs in the processwater during taconite processing. The cation exchange capacities of rod mill feed samples from two taconite plants were determined. Ball mill grinding, magnetic separation, bench scale flotation and balling tests were performed to establish the effect that cation exchange has on flotation and balling. Tests indicate that balling and flotation are affected by the cation exchange capacity of processed taconite ore. The rate of formation of sulfate, fluoride and bicarbonate anions during the grinding of taconite rod-mill-feed was determined. Sulfide oxidation to sulfuric acid followed by neutralization with carbonate minerals was studied. Fluoride liberation from the taconite ore was also investigated.enWet grindingFlotationBallingIonic formationTaconite processingBall mill grindingMagnetic separationBench scale flotationCation exchangeNatural Resources Research InstituteUniversity of Minnesota DuluthTechnical Report