How to Deironing and Mineral Separation of Potassium Feldspar

2024-07-12

Feldspar is a group of aluminum silicate minerals that contain potassium, sodium, calcium, and other alkali metals or alkaline earth metals. It is commonly known as the feldspar group of minerals. Potassium feldspar (K2O·Al2O3·6SiO2), also known as orthoclase, belongs to the monoclinic crystal system and typically appears in flesh red, white, or gray color. The potassium feldspar series mainly includes orthoclase, microcline, sanidine, etc. Potassium feldspar has extensive applications in various industrial sectors such as ceramic production for both body ingredients and glaze consumption (accounting for 30%), as well as in glass manufacturing, electric porcelain production, grinding materials industry and potash fertilizer sector. With the continuous development of the social economy, there is an increasing demand for potassium feldspar due to its wide range of applications.

However,the main challenge associated with potassium feldspar lies in its rich resources which are often found symbiotic with quartz along with iron minerals,mica clay minerals,and rutile. In order to enhance the industrial value of potassium feldspar,it becomes crucial to remove impurities during mineral processing especially excessive iron content present within it.Iron removal plays a key role in achieving purification.

About Potassium Feldspar

The term "orthoclase" is commonly used to refer to potassium feldspar, which belongs to the potassium feldspar series that includes orthoclase, microcline, peristase, and other minerals. Potassium feldspar is an aluminosilicate mineral with a crystal structure composed of silico-oxygen tetrahedra bonded by potassium ions. Its chemical formula is K2O·Al2O3·6SiO2. The main components of potassium feldspar are SiO2, Al2O3, K2O,CaO,etc.

Physical property

Potassium feldspar typically exhibits a reddish-flesh, yellowish-white, white, or gray coloration. Its crystal structure is commonly short columnar or thick plate-like in shape and displays a glassy luster. It has a specific gravity of 2.56 and a Mohs hardness  rating of 6, with a melting point at 1290℃.

Application of potassium feldspar

Potassium feldspar is extensively used in the production of ceramic bodies, glazes, fire-resistant calcium silicate boards, glass and enamel industries, abrasive materials, etc. Its aesthetically pleasing colors make it a popular choice for decorative stones and semi-precious gems. Additionally, high-quality potash feldspar is utilized in the manufacturing of TV display glasses and can also be used to produce potash fertilizers.

The Process of Deironing and Beneficiation of Potassium Feldspar

Process of impurity removal

1. Photoelectric sorting and impurity removal involve the separation and dissociation of raw ore, which is achieved by using photoelectric separation equipment to discard waste tailings, eliminate useless quartz or gangue, or separate them from potassium feldspar. This process significantly enhances the overall efficiency of separation compared to traditional manual methods. 

2. Magnetic separation is employed for effective removal of impurities such as iron minerals, biotite, and tourmaline in potassium feldspar due to their weak magnetic properties. Strong magnetic separation processes and equipment are used for this purpose. 

3. Flotation processes are commonly utilized to efficiently remove impurities when pyrite, mica, garnet, tourmaline, hornblende or other ferrite-bearing minerals are present in potassium feldspar.

The Process flow of Beneficiation equipment

Crushing: Firstly, the raw ore from mining is initially crushed by the jaw crusher and then conveyed to the cone crusher via the belt conveyor for secondary crushing.

Sorting: After undergoing secondary crushing, the potassium feldspar particles are screened using a circular vibrating screen.Subsequently, they are transported to an ore color sorting machine or an artificial intelligence ore sorting machine for further classification.The waste rock resulting from crushing and dissociation is discarded.

Grinding: The concentrate waste is ground in a grinding machine.The potassium feldspar powder obtained from grinding is sorted through a spiral classifier.

Magnetic separation: Following fine grinding, the potassium feldspar powder undergoes magnetic separation in a magnetic separator.Depending on material conditions, strong magnetic separation is employed to remove iron and mica materials.

Flotation: Flotation of potassium feldspar yields significant improvement by effectively removing iron and titanium while separating quartz and other substances.Different agents are used based on associated situations of potassium feldspar; main agents include acidic flotation method, neutral flotation method, and alkaline flotation method.

Dewatering and drying: After magnetic separation or flotation or composite separation processes, the concentrated potassium feldspar undergoes dehydration in a concentrator before entering a dryer for rapid dehydration and drying.Finally, dried potassium feldspar powder constitutes the sorted final product.

Introduction to Feldapsr Processing Equipment

The equipment required for the potassium feldspar mineral processing process includes a jaw crusher, cone crusher, grinding machine, vibrating feeder, spiral classifier, ore color separator, artificial intelligence separator, magnetic separator, flotation machine, dryer, vibrating screen and conveyor. Depending on the different forms of potassium feldspar present variations in the necessary equipment may occur.
Shanghai Clirik, a renowned company in the mining industry, is dedicated to manufacturing top-notch mining equipment.   With a strong emphasis on quality and innovation, they have gained global recognition for their exceptional products.   One of their flagship offerings includes the production of ore mills, which are widely acclaimed for their efficiency and reliability.  

The ore mills manufactured by Shanghai Clirik have revolutionized the mining sector with cutting-edge technology and advanced features.   These mills are designed to efficiently handle various types of ores, ensuring optimal extraction and processing.   Their popularity can be attributed to their ability to deliver high-quality output while minimizing energy consumption.

In addition to ore mills, Shanghai Clirik also produces a wide range of other equipment that caters to the diverse needs of the mining industry - from grinding mills to crushers and separators;   each product undergoes rigorous testing procedures to ensure superior performance and durability.

Stone Crusher

PEX Jaw Crusher
Capacity: 1-90 t/h
Feed Size: 250 mm

The PEX jaw crusher series exhibits the characteristics of a high crushing ratio, uniform product size, simplistic structure, reliable operation, easy maintenance, and low cost. It finds extensive applications in stone mining, metallurgical industry, building materials sector, road construction, railway infrastructure development, water conservancy projects as well as chemical industries. This versatile machine can effectively crush various materials with compressive resistance levels below 320MPa. The operational mode of the PEX jaw crusher involves both movement and squeezing actions. Its working principle is outlined as follows: The motor serves as the power source for this jaw crusher model. By means of a triangular belt and grooved wheel mechanism connected to the motor's wheel system; it drives the eccentric shaft which enables controlled movement of the movable jaw plate along an adjustable track path within the crushing chamber area. Consequently, any material trapped between fixed jaw plate and movable/side leeward plates undergoes fragmentation before being discharged through an outlet port.

HCS Cone Crusher
Capacity: 27-660 t/h
Feed Size: 275 mm

The HCS series Hydraulic Drive System Single cylinder cone crusher is a novel and highly efficient crushing equipment, meticulously developed by Clirik engineers over a span of more than 20 years, encompassing design, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service in the crushing industry. It finds extensive application in primary, secondary, tertiary, and fine crushing operations.

Grinding Mill

HGM Ultrafine Grinding Mill
Capacity: 0.2-45 t/h
Feed Size: ≤20 mm
Powder Fineness: 325-3000 mesh

The ultrafine mill is a device used for grinding solid materials into powder, which is an essential unit operation in various processes. It finds wide applications in industries such as metallurgy, building materials, chemicals, and mining. With the same motor power and finished particle size, the processing capacity of the ultrafine mill is twice that of the jet mill, mixing mill, and ball mill while reducing energy consumption by 30%. The ring and roller of the ultrafine mill are forged with special materials to achieve high utilization rate. Moreover, when using the same grinding material and achieving a specific fineness level, the spare parts have a longer life cycle compared to impact grinding or turbine grinding - approximately one year longer (2-3 times).

Additionally, since there are no rolling bearings or screws inside the grinding chamber of this equipment modelled after bolt loss or rapid wear issues caused by bearings and sealing components are eliminated. The final fineness of ground materials achieved by this ultrafine mill can be adjusted between 325 mesh to 3000 mesh. Furthermore, it comes equipped with pulse bag type dust collector and silencer application which significantly reduces both dust pollution and noise levels.