Multi-stage flotation of colored impurities from albite ore in the presence of some cationic and anionic collectors

Mica and heavy minerals containing iron oxides and titanium oxides such as rutile and sphene are floated using cationic and anionic collectors, respectively. In this study, separation of colored impurities including mica and heavy minerals from the albite ore obtained from the Aydin region in Turkey was investigated by multi-stage flotation. The effects of the new cationic and various anionic collectors and their dosages in either acidic or natural circuits were investigated to upgrade the albite ore. In the case of the flotation stage of mica minerals, the results obtained from this study showed that the stearylamine collector (Flotigam-S) gave the best performance and an albite concentrate with 7.58% Na2O grade was produced with 81.40% Na2O recovery at 400 g/Mg Flotigam-S under the acidic condition at pH 3. Additionally, in the heavy minerals flotation stage, the use of Naoleate in the natural circuit (pH 6) was the most effective for removal of iron and titanium oxides, and an albite concentrate with 0.042% Fe2O3 and 0.061% TiO2 grades was produced with 91.89% Fe2O3 and 88.56 % TiO2 recoveries, respectively, with the use of 900 g/Mg Na-oleate. Under the optimum conditions, the colored impurities containing mica minerals, iron oxides and particularly sphene as well as rutile could be effectively removed from the albite ore in the presence of Flotigam-S and Naoleate collectors by multi-stage flotation.