SELECTION OF METHODS FOR SEPARATING OF SILICATE MINERALS

Mineralogically, silicate minerals are divided according to structure of their silicate anion into the following groups:

 

Nesosilicates or orthosilicates

• Olivine group: Olivine, Fayalite, Forsterite, Tephroite
• Zircon group: Hafnon, Stetindite, Thorite, Zircon, Coffinite, Thorogummite 
• Phenakite group: Phenakite, Willemite, Eucryptite
• Al₂(SiO₄)O:
  • Sillimanite subgroup: Sillimanite, Mullite, Boromullite
  • Andalusite subgroup: Andalusite, Kanonaite, Yoderite
  • Aluminium boro-silicate: Dumortierite
  • Kyanite
  • Staurolite
  • Topaz
• Titanite group: Titanite, Malayaite, Vanadomalayaite
• Cerite group: Cerite, Aluminocerite
• Silicate apatites: Ellestadite, Britholite, Ellestadite, Mattheddleite, Karnasurtite, Fluorbritholite, Fluorcalciobritholite
• Uranophane group: Kasolite, Uranophane, Sklodowskite, Cuprosklodowskite, Boltwoodite, Natroboltwoodite, Oursinite, Swamboite 
• Datolite group:
  • Datolite series: Datolite, Hingganite, Calcybeborosilite
  • Homilite series: Bakerite, Gadolinite, Homilite, Minasgeraisite
• Hellandite group: Hellandite, Tadzhikite, Mottanaite, Ciprianiite, Piergorite
• Vicanite group: Vicanite, Hundholmenite, Proshchenkoite
• Garnet group: Pyrope, Almandine, Spessartine, Grossular_, Andradite, Uvarovite, Hydrogrossular
• Humite group: Norbergite, Chondrodite, Humite, Clinohumite
• Chloritoid

 

Sorosilicates

• Epidote supergroup: 
  • Epidote group: Clinozoisite, Epidote, Mukhinite, Piemontite, Piemontite, Manganipiemontite, Zoisite, Tanzanite
  • Allanite group: Allanite, Dissakisite, Ferriallanite, Manganiandrosite, Vanadoandrosite
  • Dollaseite group: Dollaseite, Khristovite
• Hemimorphite
• Lawsonite
• Ilvaite
• Vesuvianite

 

Cyclosilicates

• Tourmaline group: Tourmaline, Foitite, Magnesiofoitite, Rossmanite, Liddicoatite, Uvite, Feruvite,
  Buergerite, Povondraite, Olenite, Elbaite, Dravite, Chromdravite, Vanadiumdravite
• Eudialyte group: Carbokentbrooksite, Eudialyte, Feklichevite, Ferrokentbrooksite, Georgbarsanovite, Golyshevite, Ikranite, Johnsenite, Kentbrooksite, Khomyakovite, Manganokhomyakovite, Mogovidite, Oneillite, Raslakite, Rastsvetaevite,Taseqite, Zirsilite-(Ce), Alluaivite, Andrianovite, Aqualite, Dualite, Labyrinthite
• 3-member ring: Benitoite
• 6-member ring: Axinite, Beryl/Emerald, Sugilite, Cordierite

 

Inosilicates

Single chain inosilicates

• Astrophyllite group: Astrophyllite, Magnesioastrophyllite, Hydroastrophyllite, Niobophyllite, Zircophyllite, Kupletskite,  Niobokupletskite 
• Sapphirine supergroup: Khmaralite, Sapphirine_, Aenigmatite, Krinovite, Wilkinsonite, Dorrite, Hogtuvaite, Makarochkinite, Rhonite, Serendibite, Welshite, Surinamite 

Pyroxene supergroup:

• Orthopyroxene group: Pyroxene, Donpeacorite, Enstatite, Ferrosilite 
• Clinopyroxene group: Aegirine, Augite, Clinoenstatite, Clinoferrosilite, Diopside, Esseneite, Grossmanite, Hedenbergite, Jadeite, Jervisite, Johannsenite, Kanoite, Kosmochlor, Kushiroite, Namansilite, Natalyite, Petedunnite, Pigeonite, Spodumene 
• Pyroxenoid group: Wollastonite, Rhodonite, Pectolite

Double chain inosilicates

• Amphibole group: Anthophyllite_, Cummingtonite_, Grunerite_, Tremolite_, Actinolite_, Hornblende
• Sodium amphibole group: Glaucophane_, Riebeckite (asbestos), Arfvedsonite

Phyllosilicates

• Clay minerals group: Dickite, Fougèrite, Halloysite, Illite, Kaolinite, Nacrite, Nontronite, Palygorskite, Saponite, Sepiolite, Talc, Montmorillonite, Vermiculite, Pyrophyllite
• Mica group: Anandite, Annite, Biotite, Celadonite, Clintonite, Glauconite, Illite, Lepidolite, Margarite, Mariposite, Muscovite, Paragonite, Phengite, Phlogopite, Roscoelite, Vermiculite, Zinnwaldite
• Serpentine group: Amesite, Chrysotile, Cronstedtite, Népouite, Pecoraite, Serpentinite, Antigorite, Lizardite
• Smectite group: Aliettite, Hectorite, Montmorillonite, Nontronite, Saliotite, Saponite, Sauconite
• Pyrophyllite-Talc group: Pyrophyllite, Talc
• Chlorite group: Chlorite Clinochlore, Nimite, Pennantite, Baileychlore, Cookeite, Donbassite, Gonyerite, Odinite, Sudoite, Orthochamosite

Tectosilicates

• Quartz group: Quartz_, Tridymite_, Cristobalite, Coesite, Stishovite
• Feldspar family:
  • Alkali-feldspars (potassium-feldspars): Microcline, Orthoclase, Anorthoclase, Sanidine, Albite
  • Plagioclase feldspars: Albite, Oligoclase, Andesine, Labradorite, Bytownite, Anorthite
• Feldspathoid family: Nosean, Cancrinite, Leucite, Nepheline, Sodalite, Hauyne, Lazurite
• Scapolite grop: Marialite, Meionite
• Zeolite family: Natrolite, Erionite, Chabazite, Heulandite, Stilbite, Scolecite, Mordenite, Gmelinite 
• Analcime
• Petalite

Main category: Germanium minerals

• Chevkinite
• Kainosite
• Gadolinite

During the processing of minerals containing silicates, plants use the following types of separation:

• Flotation
• Magnetic separation
• Electrical separation
• Chemical separation
• Gravity separation
• Special methods of separation

Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya