Occurrence state and distribution characteristics of tungsten in Dabaoshan tungsten-bearing goethite
(1. School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China;
2. Hunan International Joint Research Center for Efficient and Clean Utilization of Critical Metal Mineral Resources, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China)
2. Hunan International Joint Research Center for Efficient and Clean Utilization of Critical Metal Mineral Resources, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China)
Abstract: The phase composition and elemental distribution of the tungsten-bearing goethite in Dabaoshan, Guangdong Province, China, were explored through various analytical methods, aiming to reveal the occurrence state and embedding characteristics of critical metal W in the ore. X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), powder X-ray diffraction (powder XRD), and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) results show that the grade of critical metal W is 1.35%, and its main minerals are tungsten-bearing goethite and quartz. Micro-area XRD and mineral liberation analyzer (MLA) results indicate that ferrotungsten ore ((W,Fe)(O,OH)3), the tungsten-bearing phase, was mainly present in the form of stripped and banded goethite. The valuable element distribution in major minerals was also quantitatively determined. Moreover, a possible mechanism for the evolution and formation of tungsten-bearing goethite weathering was discussed, and a combined flowsheet of beneficiation–metallurgical separation was proposed to provide a theoretical basis for the high-efficient recovery of critical metal W from tungsten-bearing goethite.
Key words: tungsten-bearing goethite; occurrence state; micro-area X-ray diffraction