Electrostatic K-Feldspar/Na-Feldspar and Feldspar/Quartz Separation: Influence of Feldspar Composition

Abstract

This article aims at contributing to the possibility of electrically separating K-feldspar/Na-feldspar and quartz/feldspar, investigating the behavior of mixtures composed of K-feldspar, Na-feldspar, and quartz concentrates. The findings highlight the importance of preheating the material and of interparticle contact. Tests conducted on binary mixtures of K-feldspar/Na-feldspar, K-feldspar/quartz, and Na-feldspar/quartz showed that it is possible to achieve satisfactory results in the separation of these species, by triboelectrical charging of the material, preheated to temperatures above 100°C, using a free fall chamber. Tests carried out on ternary mixtures have demonstrated that additional pretreatment with HF solutions improves the results.

Keywords:

• electrostatic separation
• free fall chamber
• industrial minerals
• K-feldspar
• mineral processing
• Na-feldspar
• quartz