Abstract
Nepheline syenite ore is an essential constituent in ceramics and glass raw material meals, as a flux and as a source of alumina. The natural nepheline syenite rocks contain some undesired minerals, which are usually eliminated or reduced to the allowable limits by beneficiation. The present paper is concerned with characterization and beneficiation of an Egyptian nepheline syenite rock, at Abu Khruq locality, Eastern Desert, Egypt. The ore is exceptionally hard, with high crushing strength of 875 kg/cm2, and iron oxide content of about 6.5%. The grain size of the constituents is relatively large. In some samples, the iron oxides are disseminated within the feldspars and nepheline syenite crystals, or in cracks and fissures within the feldspars crystals. The rock contains some environmental hazardous elements such as uranium, thorium, and radon. Magnetic separation and flotation techniques were applied, separately or in combination. Under optimum operating conditions, magnetic separation followed by reverse anionic flotation gave a concentrate assaying 0.2% Fe2O3 and about 24% Al2O3 at alumina recovery of about 80%. The radioactive elements were reduced in the concentrate to lower levels than their levels in the original rock.
Highlights
Nepheline syenite is a light-colored alkaline igneous rock formed mainly of alkali feldspar and nepheline in appreciable amounts
The low fusibility temperature and high fluxing capacity of nepheline allow it to act as vitrifying agent by contributing an early glassy phase that binds other constituents of the mix
The occurrence of nepheline syenite in Egypt is restricted to the intrusion of the phanerozoic postorogenic alkaline ring complexes scattered in the southern sector of the Eastern Desert along the Red Sea hills, in five main localities (Figure 1)
Summary
Nepheline syenite is a light-colored alkaline igneous rock formed mainly of alkali feldspar and nepheline in appreciable amounts. Nepheline syenite, which contains no free silica (quartz), is used for the production of fillers and extenders in the area of plastics and paints, when it is finely ground. The occurrence of nepheline syenite in Egypt is restricted to the intrusion of the phanerozoic postorogenic alkaline ring complexes scattered in the southern sector of the Eastern Desert along the Red Sea hills, in five main localities (Figure 1). These ring complexes form a circular igneous structures formed after magma solidification. The rocks in theses complexes are of the alkaline silica-free type of rocks
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