PROSPECTS FOR THE INTEGRATED USE OF THE LOPARITE ORE TAILINGS

Chernousenko, E. V., Mitrofanova, G. V., Kameneva, Yu. S.

Mining Institute of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Apatity, Murmansk region, Russian Federation)

The article was received on August 28, 2025

Bibliographic description: Chernousenko E. V., Mitrofanova G. V., Kameneva Yu. S. Prospects for the integrated use of the loparite ore tailings. Arctic: Ecology and Economy, 2026, vol. 16, no. 1.

Abstract:  The article considers the possibility to recover nepheline, loparite, and apatite concentrates from the loparite ore tailings. Reverse flotation of both stored and current tailings yielded nepheline concentrates containing 27.3% and 27.7% Al2O3 with a recovery of 77.8% and 79.9%, respectively. The proposed closed-cycle flotation scheme for current tailings allowed increasing the Al2O3 recovery into concentrate by 3.8%. Improvement in concentrate quality is achieved using electromagnetic separation (28.0—28.3% Al2O3) or direct flotation in sodium silicofluoride medium (29.6% Al2O3). During the flotation of gravity tailings, a loparite concentrate was produced containing Nb2O5 with a recovery of approximately 50%. Beneficiation of stored tailings yielded an apatite product containing about 15% P2O5 with a recovery of approximately 78%. The quality of the apatite product can be improved by introducing cleaning operations.

Keywords: tailings storage facility, tailings, loparite, nepheline, apatite, flotation, magnetic separation.

Funding:  The article was prepared within the framework of grant no. 25-1720012 of the Russian Science Foundation.

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