BENEFICIATION OF GAZUM FELDSPAR USING HYDROCYCLONE AND JIGGING FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Gazum feldspar have been beneficiated using hydrocyclone and jigging for industrial development. Samples of feldspar were collected from Gazum in Langtang north local government area of plateau state Nigeria. The head sample of the feldspar was subjected to chemical analysis followed by test beneficiation using hydrocyclone and jigging at particle sizes of 63 µm, 90 µm and 125 µm. The result of X-Ray Flourence (XRF) analysis indicates that the clay contains 23.33% Na2O 50.036% 0.45% Fe2O3, 0.005% P2O5  0.085% So3,0.929%CaO,0.166 BaO 13.986% Al2O3 and 0.013 TiO2.The performance evaluation for the beneficiation operations revealed that for hydrocyclone recovery of Na2O at particle size of 63µm 90 µm and 125 µm are 82.6%,91.4%,and 78% with enrichment ratio of 1.5,1.8 and  1.8. For jigging recovery of Na2O are 86.0%, and 88.0%and 84.9% Na2O, with enrichment ratio of 1.5,1.4 and 1.5. Therefore, beneficiation of Gazum feldspar using Hydrocyclone at 90 µm, when compared with jigging technique is more effective. Magnetic separation should be investigated as a potential concentration method for further impurity removal.