Ultrafine Disintegration + Centrifugal Desliming Quartz Purification Process

The physical purification of quartz is based on a comprehensive integrated process centred on scrubbing and dispersion, followed by centrifugal classification. This process is specifically designed to remove clay and fine associated impurities from the surface of the ore. As a pre-treatment step prior to high-purity processing, it significantly reduces the consumption of chemical purification reagents in subsequent stages.

The complete physical purification process comprises two core stages: slurry preparation and scrubbing, and centrifugal separation. First, the raw ore is mixed with water to form a slurry; alkaline conditioners and inorganic dispersants are added, and the mixture is fed into high-intensity scrubbing equipment for vigorous agitation and friction. Mechanical shear forces are utilised to strip away the weathered clay film and aggregates of fine impurities adhering to the surface of the quartz particles; simultaneously, the pH of the slurry is adjusted to an alkaline range, altering the zeta potential on the mineral particle surfaces and increasing the electrostatic repulsion between quartz and aluminium-iron impurity particles, thereby preventing the re-adsorption and agglomeration of fine impurities.

Following scrubbing and dispersion, the slurry enters a laminar flow centrifugal separation unit, where centrifugal forces are utilised to separate particles by density. By adjusting the centrifugal separation factor and the single-batch feed rate, separation is achieved by exploiting the density differences between quartz powder and clay and iron impurities; high-density quartz particles settle to form the coarse concentrate, whilst low-density fine silty impurities are discharged as tailings via the overflow. Centrifugal separation allows for flexible adjustment of the particle size range, enabling efficient recovery of fine-grained quartz whilst simultaneously intercepting suspended fine aluminium and iron impurities.

For ores containing a high proportion of solid inclusions, the physical processing sequence incorporates an ultra-fine grinding stage. A sand mill with a wear-resistant lining is used to perform wet ultra-fine liberation of the centrifugal coarse concentrate, breaking down the fine inclusions within the minerals and thereby increasing the surface area available for subsequent chemical leaching reactions. Following grinding, the material is re-classified to remove ultra-fine sludge, thereby completing the entire physical purification process.

The physical purification process does not utilise strong acids or fluorides throughout, and produces no highly corrosive wastewater. It primarily removes surface-stained clays and free iron and aluminium impurities; however, it struggles to break down silicate lattice impurities such as feldspar and mica. It is typically employed as a pre-treatment stage, used in conjunction with chemical leaching processes to provide low-impurity feedstock for deep, high-purity processing.