Application of Bio-processing Techniques for Upgrading Low Grade Phosphate Ores for Fertilizers Production

Abstract

• Phosphate ores are in high demand all over the world because they are main raw materials for production of phosphatic fertilizers and other chemicals. High percentage from phosphate rock, 95% is consumed in manufacturing of fertilizers and the production of animal feed supplements. Because of the grade of the ore is gradually falling, it is becoming an economical to mine and beneficiate many lower-grade deposits for production of phosphatic fertilizers. Since it is necessary to search for alternative efficient process and to keep lower operating costs which is bio-beneficiation, by definition, refers to selective removal of undesirable mineral constituents from an ore by utilizing bacteria as surface modifiers to enhance the separation of one mineral from another either by flotation or flocculation, thus enriching it with respect to the desired valuable minerals.

• In the present study, bacterial isolates have been investigated as a flotation reagent for mineral separation. Such bacteria were isolated from the surface of phosphate rock. Samples of single minerals of apatite (P2O5), calcite (CaCO3) and quartz (SiO2) were used for studying the