TITLE:
The Art of Talc Flotation for Different Industrial Applications
AUTHORS:
Tawfik Refaat Boulos, Suzan Sami Ibrahim, Ahmed Yehia
KEYWORDS:
Flotation, Depression, Attrition Scrubbing, Carbonate Separation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering,
Vol.4 No.3,
May
23,
2016
ABSTRACT: Talc has found a steadily increasing number of uses such as cosmetics, steatite and cordierite ceramics,
for pitch control in the paper industry and as a reinforcing filler in rubber, etc. In this research,
the amenability of some Egyptian carboniferous finely disseminated talc ores to beneficiation
by flotation was investigated on laboratory scale. The original talc sample is characterized by
low MgO content (25.40%), low SiO2 (45.71%), high CaO content (6.32%) and high L.O.I. (11.35%),
indicating its low grade. Attrition scrubbing of the crushed ores was found to be an unconventional
process, not only for fine talc production, but also for proper separation of the harder carbonaceous
gangue. Talc pre-concentrates, less than 0.074 μm, were prepared by attrition scrubbing in
the laboratory having 8.40% L.O.I. with a yield reaching 74.70%. Cleaner talc concentrate with
L.O.I. content averaging 6.70% was obtained by flotation in the presence of Aerofroth 71 with a
yield reaching 64.71%. This was relatively improved by the use of a selective (quaternary amine)
talc collector and in presence of a selective carbonate depressant (soda ash). Flotation of the fine
ground talc (less than 22 μm) produced a talc concentrate assaying 6.90% L.O.I. with a yield recovery
of 62.91%. However, different talc concentrates obtained by just natural floatability or by
the use of small dose of Aerofroth 71, or by the application of quaternary amine in presence of
carbonate depressant, satisfy the requirement of paper coating, ceramics production, functional
filler, and pharmaceuticals applications. Tailings could also be used in carpets, roofs, and tiles
production industries.