Beneficiation of a siliceous limestone sample
Summary: White colored low grade siliceous limestone sample containing 45.10 % CaO and 15.60 % SiO2 from the Jayantipuram mine of Andhra Pradesh/India has been investigated for amenability to beneficiation by flotation. The limestone sample was crystalline and consisted mainly of calcite and quartz. Direct flotation experiments were carried out using sodium silicate and sodium oleate as depressant and collector respectively. The reverse flotation process was used where in the gangue minerals containing silica (quartz) are floated using a cationic collector SOMU Sokem 565C. The results are highly encouraging in enhancing the CaO and reducing the SiO2 content in the limestone and thus to make it suitable for cement manufacture.
1 Introduction
Limestone, a sedimentary rock, mostly compo-sed of calcite with some minerals like quartz, feldspar and mi-ca. The major industries which consume limestone are: cement production, metallurgy (iron and steel making), manufacturing (glass, food processing, paper making, leather, water purification, waste water treatment, flue gas desulphurisation, adhesives, insulation and pH control), agriculture (fertilizers, fungicides, animal feed), and construction (mortar, cement, whitewash, building stone). Limestone is the lifeline for any cement plant because it constitutes the major raw...
