Thorium Recovery from Choghart Mining Waste by Beneficiation Processes

This study was carried out to develop a beneficiation process flowsheet for the recovery and separation of thorium from Choghart iron mining waste. The characterization and mineralogical studies showed that the mining waste comprised ThO2:2100 ppm, and the main thorium-containing mineral was thorite. The radiometric sorting results indicated the Choghart thorium ore has a medium sortability; furthermore, the thorium cut-off grade and thorium enrichment rate were 100 ppm and 1.2, respectively. The gravity concentration process with a wet shaking table was performed on radiometric sorting concentrate, and the optimum conditions were determined to be 1.5° deck tilt angle, 2 kg/h feed flow rate, and 6 L/min wash water flow rate, according to statistical experimental design. A final product of the wet shaking table was obtained with a ThO2 content of 1.2% and a ThO2 recovery of 90.54% in optimal conditions. The magnetic separation on the heavy and middling fractions of the shaking table in 0.2T led to concentrate production with a ThO2 grade and recovery of 10.5% and 92% and 2.15% and 89%, respectively. Finally, the combination of these separation methods in optimal conditions showed the thorium grade and recovery to be obtained at 3.1% and 74%, respectively.