Laboratory Continuous Flotation of Bertrandite and Phenacite from Mount Wheeler, Nev., Beryllium Ores

Continuous flotation studies were made at a 50-lb-per-hr feed rate to confirm the effectiveness of a batch-scale procedure for concentrating phenacite and bertrandite minerals from Mount Wheeler ores that contained, in percent, 0.47, 0.78, and 4.7 BeO. The procedure for selective froth flotation of the beryllium minerals from a gangue composed chiefly of calcite, fluorite, and mica comprised closely controlled preconditioning with sodium fluoride and sodium hexametaphosphate in a series of small mechanically agitated tanks and use a mixture of oleic acid with kerosine, fuel oil, or turpentine as a collector.