A process for the production of high-purity, white zircon and separation of hafnium oxide as well as rare earth materials comprises the reaction of the zircon concentrate obtained from Egyptian beach placer with ammonium sulphate followed by water leaching, thereafter separating the resulting pure white zircon from the filtrate, which contained the major gangue impurities accompanied by zircon sand. The filtrate was then first treated with mandelic acid to separate hafnium oxide followed by ammonia solution for separating the other impurities. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) were used for identification of the crystalline phases and analysis of the products.
JUNEJAJ. M., KRISHNANT. S. and PAULC. M.: ‘Preparation of commercial grade zirconium oxide by lime sintering of zircon’. Trans. Indian Inst. Met., 1973, 26, 59–64.
2.
POLETAEVI. F., SMUROVAT. V and KRASNENKOVAL. V.: ‘Decomposition of zircon using dolomite’. Tsvetn. Met., 1981, 11, 24–26.
3.
EL-BARAWYK. A., EL-TAWILS. Z. and FRANCISA. A.: ‘Production of zirconia from zircon by thermal reaction with calcium oxide’. J. Ceram. Soc. Jpn., 1999, 107, 97–102.
4.
EL-TAWILS. Z., EL-BARAWYK. A. and FRANCISA. A.: ‘Cubic zirconia from zircon sand by firing with CaO/MgO mixture’. J. Ceram. Soc. Jpn., 1999, 107, 193–198.
5.
CHOIH. S.: ‘Preparation of pure zirconyl compounds from zircon caustic frit’. Can. MM. Metal. Bull., 1965, 58, 193–198.
6.
DE ROHDENC., KASTNERM. and PAQUETM.: ‘Zirconium compounds’. US Patent, 1951, 2, 564, 522.
7.
MENONP. R., JUNEJAJ. M. and KRISHNANT. S.: ‘Decomposition of zircon by soda ash sintering process’. Bull. Am. Ceram. Soc., 1980, 59, 635-636, 645.
8.
EL-BARAWYK. A., EL-TAWILS. Z. and FRANCISA. A.: Alkai fusion of zircon sand’. Trans. Inst. MM. Metal., 2000, 109, C49—056.
9.
PETZNIKW and PIRSCHELH.: ‘Purification of titanium and iron-containing zircon sand’. East German Patent, July1958, 21, 189.
10.
SKRODSKIIV. E., SAFRONOVA. F. and CHIGRING. S.: ‘Removal of iron from zircon concentrates and products in a high-intensity magnetic field’. Teor. Prakt. Elek. Magn. Metod. Separatsii Polez. Iskop, (eds.PlaksinI., IzdI. N.), Moscow, Nauka, 1968, 82–90.
11.
EMELEUSH. J. and ANDERSONJ. S.: ‘Modern aspects of inorganic chemistry’, New York, D. Van Nostrand, 1938.
12.
LUSTMANB. and KERZEF. (eds.): ‘Metallurgy of zirconium’, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1955.
