A Review on Removal of Iron Impurities from Quartz Mineral

Abstract

Iron is one of the most stubborn impurities in quartz minerals, and the iron content partly determines the various applications of quartz. Iron can exist in quartz in the forms of iron minerals, fluid inclusions, and lattice impurities. The removal of iron and the consequent purification of quartz minerals are the key processes to obtaining high-quality quartz. Iron removal methods including conventional pre-treatment, magnetic separation, acid leaching, microbiological, roasting, and flotation, as well as combined iron removal methods in quartz ore, are herein summarized. The separation mechanism of quartz and iron impurities and the latest research progress were explained and summarized, and the development prospects of quartz purification in the future were proposed based on the current progress and limitations of quartz iron removal.