Potassium Feldspar Processing

With the decline in feldspar mines and the increasing demand for high-quality feldspar products, the processing of these materials has gained significant importance. To enhance the grade of potassium feldspar ores and remove impurities such as quartz, mica, titanium-bearing iron minerals, and other associated minerals, complex methods such as gravity separation, flotation, and strong magnetic field separation have been introduced. These advanced techniques are essential for achieving high-quality feldspar concentrates.

Potassium Feldspar Grade A from Cesium Sinclair Mine

Process Flowchart for Potassium Sodium Feldspar Upgrading

The equipment used for upgrading sodium-potassium feldspar mainly includes crushers, ball mills, cyclones, weak and strong magnetic separators, and flotation  systems. The main process flowchart typically includes crushing, grinding, magnetic separation, and flotation.

Crushing: In the first stage, crushing operation is performed on the incoming ore at the plant using crushers.

Grinding: The crushed ore is then ground using a ball mill to achieve the desired particle size.

Classification: The ground particles are transferred to a cyclone or a classifier to separate fine particles and slimes.

Magnetic Separation: Magnetite and other weakly magnetic minerals are separated from other materials using both weak and strong magnetic separators.

Flotation: Currently, the use of strong and weak magnetic separators to remove iron from potassium feldspar is not suitable for all feldspar mines. The widespread application of flotation  machines addresses this issue. For impure ores, collectors with high efficiency in removing impurities while minimizing potassium albite loss are selected.

Acid Leaching of Fine Particles: Sulfuric acid is used as a leaching agent, with the amount adjusted based on the acid concentration and iron content in the powder. By adding sulfuric acid, iron oxide and ferric tetroxide are completely removed through the acid leaching process, separating the iron sulfate solution and yielding fine potassium feldspar particles.