Beneficiation of feldspar ore for application in the ceramic industry: Influence of composition on the physical characteristics

In this study, physical and physicochemical experiments were carried out to improve the quality of feldspar ore in Sidi Aïch massive, located in the Gafsa region of south-western Tunisia. After determination of the mineralogical and the chemical composition, flotation methods were applied. In this study, non-hydrofluoric acid flotation methods used in feldspar-quartz separation were compared with each other and with the conventional HF/amine method. The results showed that conventional HF/amine method is the most effective and selective method.Experimental studies indicate that an acceptable concentrate for industrial application can be obtained from these rocks. The feldspar yield was used to evaluate the process efficiency. Besides, the cone shrinkage, water absorption, degree of vitrification, mechanical properties (flexural strength) and dielectric behaviour were used to monitor the quality of the recovered feldspars.