Beneficiation of Quartzite to make it suitable for Foundry Moulding purposes

A quartzite sample assaying 88.76% SiO2, 4.34% Al2O3, 1.46% Fe2O3, 0.43% CaO, 0.39% MgO, 2.45% alkalies was received from M/s Tata Locomotive & Engineering Co.Ltd., Jamshedpur, for beneficiation. The gangue minerals were predominantly muscovite mica and minor amounts of partially altered feldspar, ochre and clay. Hydraulic classification of the ground sample yielded a fairly clean product, amounting to 61.7% by weight of feed and assaying 95.57% SiO2 2.14% Al2O3, and 1.11% alkalies with a P.C.E. value of 32 ½ (Orton cone, temp. equivalent 1720 °c) and A.F.A. grains fineness of No. 66.2. A coarser product of nearly the same composition and P.C.E. value can also be obtained but it would contain composite grains of quartz in the coarser fractions. A few hundred-weights of the beneficiated sample required for actual foundry trials were produced by crushing, wet grinding, desliming and screening through 100 mesh after drying. The -100 mesh portion was fairly clean, assaying 95.82% SiO2 with a P.C.E. value of 33 (Orton cone, temp. equivalent 1745¯ c) and compared well with the product obtained by hydraulic classification.