A Mini Review on Flotation Techniques and Reagents Used in Graphite Beneficiation

Table 1

Properties of different graphite forms [4, 6, 11, 12].

Property	Amorphous	Flake	Lump
Occurrence	Formed as a result of anthracite coal seams metamorphosing	The development of small flakes inside the rock is the result of regional metamorphism	Lump graphite is created when hydrothermal activity changes the carbon compounds inside the rock
Description	Most prevalent, carbon quality: 20%–40% (low)	Good abundance, carbon grade <90%	Carbon grade >90%, rarest in supply
Major producers	China, North Korea, Mexico, and Austria	China, India, Madagascar, Mexico, and Brazil	Sri Lanka
International market value	Low	Good	Very high
Market price/ton	300–500 USD	500–3,000 USD	3,000–6,000 USD
Morphology	Fine granular structure	Flaky, flat, plate-like particles	Massive fibrous aggregates