Direct alumina flotation from a high purity quartz contaminated during grinding process

Microflotation , hench scalc and pilo! planl tesls werc carried out for produeing high purity quartz whieh was eontaminated by particlcs originatcd from alumina balls during grinding. Direct alumina flotation was employed, using as collectors sodium sal! of sulfusuccinic acid, soy oil, diesel oil and cctyl stearyl sodium sulfate. Flotanol 014, a polypropylene glycol alcohol was used as a frother. Microflotation tests of alumina from grinding balls were first performed using a Hallimond lubc. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and chemical analysis through EnergyDispersive X-Ray Detection (EDS) were applied to examine the microllotation and bench scale results. Microllotation tests presented high alurnina lloalability, above 95%, in lhe presence of cetyl stearyl sodiurn sulfate and sodium salt of sulfosuccinic acid at pH 5.5. The optirnization of lhe prcliminary bcnch llotation test results lead to a spccific blending of thc collectors and lhe frothcr at pH 5.5 where lhe mass recovered to the tailings was 6.4% with a total alumina rejcction of 89.21%. The final conccnlrate showcd 95.2% of quartz rccovery. Pilot plant tests confirmcd the laboratory results enabling the alumina separation by llotation with adequate quartz mass recoveries.