Improving Feldspar Flotation Using CTAB As Amine Collector (Part Two)

Abstract

In this study, feldspar ore was successfully enriched using a two-stage process. Initially, dry magnetic separation was employed to remove iron oxide, followed by cationic flotation to eliminate gangue minerals containing free silica. A feed sample with a size fraction of (− 0.25 + 0.053) mm, pre-treated by attrition scrubbing and dry high-intensity magnetic separation (cleaned twice), was used for flotation. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) served as a cationic collector for feldspar, while hydrofluoric acid (HF) acted as a depressant for quartz at a pH of 2.5–3. Factors affecting the flotation process were investigated. The flotation resulted in a concentrate with 64.75% SiO₂, 21.00% Al₂O₃, 0.08% Fe₂O₃, 4.00% Na₂O, 10.22% K₂O, and 94.71% feldspar, compared to the feed sample, which contained 76.03% SiO₂, 14.73% Al₂O₃, 0.08% Fe₂O₃, 2.99% Na₂O, 4.77% K₂O, and 59.43% feldspar. Overall, the results indicate that using CTAB as a feldspar collector, combined with a small amount of HF as a quartz depressant in acidic conditions, effectively reduces chemical consumption when compared to alternative methods for treating similar feldspar samples.