Steve Alan Gamble

US Patent:

20060226051, Oct 12, 2006

Filed:

Apr 7, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/279065

Inventors:

Joe Navarrette - Carlsbad NM, US
Jim Johnson - Carlsbad NM, US
Steve Gamble - Carlsbad NM, US

Assignee:

The Mosaic Company - Plymouth MN

International Classification:

B03D 1/02
B03D 1/01

US Classification:

209166000, 209167000

Abstract:

A potash ore processing method for the recovery of potassium minerals from potash ore can comprises conditioning a pulped potash ore, wherein the potash ore comprises a potassium chloride component and a clay component, in a saturated brine solution with an effective amount of brine dispersible urea-formaldehyde resin or modified brine dispersible urea-formaldehyde resin. In some embodiments, the processing method requires little or no frother and/or reduced amounts of flocculent while achieving potassium mineral recovery at least as good as the equivalent process without the urea-formaldehyde resin. In addition, the separation of clay waste from saturated brine for the reuse of the brine can be made more efficient through the use of urea-formaldehyde resin.