In this work, to beneficiate a low-grade, high dolomitic phosphate ore from Florida, a three-stage flotation scheme was implemented. The reagent scheme utilized by ChemFit, based on our previous fundamental research, involved the addition of oleic acid as a collector, mineral oil and ethoxylated sulfonate as co-collectors, and 1-hydroxy ethylidene 1,1-diphosphonic acid (Dequest 2010) as a depressant for francolite. The three-stage scheme was specifically designed to eliminate fine dolomite particles (< 150 microns) in the first stage, followed by quartz removal in the second stage, and finally, the separation of coarse dolomite (> 200 microns) in the last stage.

Through a systematic optimization process, which incorporated a comprehensive factorial design, a phosphate ore was successfully beneficiated. The resulting product yielded a phosphate recovery rate of approximately 75 wt%.