Beneficiation and purification of a low grade and finely disseminated graphite ore

The paper presents the results of beneficiation and purification of a low grade and finely disseminated graphite sample from Palamu district of Jharkhand. The sample contained 8.46% fixed carbon with 85.75% ash. Beneficiation and purification of the sample were attempted by physical, physico-chemical and chemical methods. Froth flotation of the ground sample led to enrichment of graphite above 96% fixed carbon centent. Further purificatin of the graphite flotation concentrate by chemical method involving alkali roasting followed by hydrochloric acid leaching resulted in product assaying 98.4% fixed carbon.