Mineral Concentrates As a Factor of the Khibiny Apatite-Nepheline Ores Efficiency Improvement

Abstract

Apatite-nepheline ores of the Khibiny deposits contain the largest phosphorus-bearing resources in the world, and, at the same time, they contain associated valuable components in the rock-forming minerals — apatite, nepheline, sphene and titanium magnetite. Intensive development of the Khibiny deposits with production of only apatite concentrate and a small part of nepheline concentrate resulted in the accumulation of over 1.0 billion tons of wastes in tailing storage facilities and dumps during 90 years of JSC Apatit operation. The possibility of increasing the efficiency of the use of the main concentrates of apatite-nepheline ores of the Khibiny deposits and wastes for their processing is considered through the use of technological developments of the FRC KSC RAS, JSC RIFI and JSC Apatit to obtain traditional and new target products. A fundamentally new approach to the problem of sustainable use of natural resources is focused on establishment of the whole production chain in the region, from mining and processing operations to manufacturers of final high technology products (rare-earth products, welding and construction materials, coloring agents and other materials). They also determine the level of industrial technical progress.