Mineralogical factors affecting the separation behavior …
microlite (39.52%), and cassiterite (4.88%), whereas niobium prefers to disperse in columbite (65.69%). The most significant tantalum-niobium mineral in the ore is columbite-tantalite, which is also the most valuable metallic mineral. The separation of columbite-tantalite directly affects the recovery index of tantalum and niobium elements.