The influence of particle size on efficiency of quartz flotation

Abstract

Flotation is the separation of the particles of the ore according to their relative capacity for floating on a given liquid to conserve the desired phases. In this study, different size of minerals were used to achieve better flotation performance. It is devoted to investigate the influence of particle size on the separation efficiency and to clarify the availability of the separation mechanism. Prior to this beneficiation process, surface treatments were applied for obtaining agitated mineral surfaces. Flotation process provided the separation phenomena between the quartz mineral and associated impurities. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to perform the phase analysis, surface morphology and elemental analysis of the quartz ore. It was concluded that the higher amount of flotation product was achieved with finer mineral. It was explained with the increasing surface area of the mineral particles.