TITLE:
Mineralogical Characterization and Beneficiation Studies of Pyrophyllite from Orissa, India
AUTHORS:
B. Das, J.K. Mohanty
KEYWORDS:
Pyrophyllite, characterisation, flotation, brightness
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering,
Vol.8 No.4,
April
20,
2009
ABSTRACT: Mineralogical and chemical analyses of three textural varieties of pyrophyllite
samples collected from Baliadihi mine of Keonjhar district, Orissa, India are investigated.
Mineralogically they consist of quartz, pyrophyllite, altered feldspar as major minerals and
muscovite, chlorite, tourmaline, hematite etc. as minor minerals. The samples exhibit
compositional variation of SiO2 65.56 - 71.66%, Al2O3 18.79- 22.94%, FeO 1.13- 1.68% and alkalis 3.24 to 6 %. Beneficiation studies using flotation technique has indicated that silica can be reduced with concomitant increase in alumina and brightness from a raw pyrophyllite sample which can be suitable for refractory purposes.