Froth flotation of iron-bearing minerals from feldspathic ores

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CERAMICGRADE FELDSPAR FROM A FELDSPATHIC ORE CONTAINING IRON BOTH AS MICACEOUS MATERIALS AND AS GARNETS WHICH COMPRISES MIXING SUCH ORE IN A GROUND, DESLIMED STATE WITH WATER TO FORM A PULP CONTAINING ABOUT 55 TO 65 PER CENT SOLIDS; SIMULTANEOUSLY CONDITIONING THE RESULTING PULP WITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER-SOLUBLE ACIDS AND ACID SALTS YIELDING FREE ACIDIC RADICALS IN SOLUTION TO PRODUCE A PH OF ABOUT 2.0 TO 3.6 IN THE PULP, WITH AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF AN ANIONIC PROMOTER COMPRISING A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFONATED OLEIC ACID, SULFONATED RED OIL, SULFONATED METHYL ESTERS OF RED OIL, AND TURKEY RED OIL, AND WITH AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF A CATIONIC PROMOTER COMPRISING A LONG-CHAIN FATTYACID AMINE; DILUTING THE RESULTING CONDITIONED PULP WITH WATER TO A CONCENTRATION OF ABOUT 25 PER CENT SOLIDS; SUBJECTING THE RESULTING FROTH PULP TO FROTH FLOTATION; REMOVING RESULTING DILUTED CONTAINING BOTH MICACEOUS MATERIALS AND GARNETS; REMOVING WATER FROM THE RESULTING FLOTATION TAILING TO A CONCENTRATION OF ABOUT 50 PER CENT SOLIDS; CONDITIONING THE RESULTING CONCENTRATED TAILING WITH EFFECTIVE AMOUNTS OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID, A LONG-CHAIN FATTY-ACID AMINE, AND A FROTHING AGENT; SUBJECTING THE CONDITIONED TAILING TO FROTH FLOTATION; AND RECOVERING CERAMICGRADE FELDSPAR IN FROTH AS A FLOTATION CONCENTRATE.