Iron Bearing Minerals Flotation from Silica Sand Using Hydroxyl Surfactants

A technological clayey sandstone sample from Wadi Qena locality, Eastern Desert of Egypt, was directed to processing. Fine kaolin and clean silica sand were produced after intensive attrition scrubbing of the sample. To increase the quality of the produced silica, it was subjected to reverse anionic flotation to minimize its iron content. In this respect, conventional flotation tests using three anionic oxyhydryl surfactants namely: sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate, sodium naphtha sulphonate, and sodium dodecyl sulphate, were tried. Results showed a privilege action for sodium dodecyl sulphate to remove most of the iron oxide content of the sample. A statistical Box-Behnken design was constructed to optimize the process efficiency. It was shown that from a flotation feed contained 360 ppm Fe2O3 and 1190 ppm Al2O3, sand concentrate contained 29 ppm Fe2O3 and 564 ppm Al2O3, was produced. The optimum flotation conditions were 3.86 kg/t sodium dodecyl sulphate dose, 3.22 flotation pulp pH, 1226 rpm impeller speed, and 22.24 L/min airflow rate. Variables interaction effects results showed that flotation separation efficiency was significantly influenced by air flow rate and cell impeller speed of the process.