U.S.-Egypt Cooperative Research: Fatty Acid Flotation of Calcareous Phosphate Rock by Enzyme Oxidation

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9811004MillerDescription: This award is for support of a cooperative project by Professor Jan Miller of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah and Dr. Ahmed Yehia of the Mineral Technology Department at the Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute in Cairo, Egypt. The two scientists will study flotation mechanisms and technologies with the goal of improving phosphate rock flotation strategy. Experiments will include bench scale flotation, enzyme catalysis, flotation of phosphate fines, column flotation, air-sparged hydrocyclone flotation systems, and immobilized enzyme utilization. Fundamental studies will include adsorption measurements of enzyme at the surface of mineral, surface characterization of ore conditioned in fatty acids and enzyme solution, evaluation of the hydrophobic character of autoxidized surface.Scope: This award will allow collaboration between a well known US metallurgist with extensive experience in the study of material processing and an active group at Egypt's main governmental center of metallurgical research. The benefit of this research would be significant to phosphate producing countries including the United States, Egypt and several other countries in the Middle East. Especially important is the benefit to producers using relatively low-grade ore as in Egypt, and those who need to obtain the maximum product from the same grade of ore. This proposal meets the INT objective of increasing US-foreign collaboration in areas that benefit both sides. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.