Feldspar Turkey

Feldspar Turkey

Feldspar is the mineral which is a group of minerals composed of aluminum (Al) and the silica ion (SiO4) mainly and they are aluminum silicates of soda (sodium oxide), potassium (potassium oxide), or lime (calcium oxide). Chemically, the feldspar is a silicate of aluminium, containing sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, or barium or different variation of these elements. A commercial diversity can be made among sodium, potassium and mixed feldspars, depending on the type of alkali and alumina they contain. The mineralogical composition of most feldspars can be classified in terms of the trinity system those which are Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8), Albite (NaAlSi3O8) and Anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8).  The minerals of which the composition is comprised between Albite and Anorthite are known as the plagioclase feldspars, while those comprised between Albite and Orthoclase are called the alkali feldspars due to the presence of alkali metals sodium and potassium.

Orthoclase is the useful commercial feldspar and it is usually light colored white, pink, yellow, or cream, and not transparent. The gem variety is clear to pale yellow, and some called “noble orthoclase”. Its chemical properties and color will be determined depending on the composition of an individual piece, but it will share similarities with other feldspars, like a crystalline structure. its chemical composition must be profiled in order to determine how to use an industrial process feldspar, as different types will behave different definitely.

Most deposits offer sodium feldspar besides potassium feldspar and mixed feldspars.  Usually, commercial feldspar is mined from pegmatite or feldspathic sand deposits. The major commercial sources are Italy, Turkey, China, and Thailand in the world.

Applications of Feldspar

Feldspars are mostly used in industrial applications for their alumina and alkali content.

  • The glass and ceramic industries are the major consumers of feldspar and account for 95% of the total consumption as it is second most important ingredient after clay. In making the body composition of several types of porcelain, china and earthenware and also in the preparation of glazes and enamel.Feldspar is the main vitrifying (fluxing) agent In ceramic bodies due to not having a strict melting point. Feldspar melts gradually over a range of temperatures and it gives the opportunity of different modulations .
  • Bonding agent in the manufacture of bonded abrasives like wheels , discs of garnet, corundum, emery and other shapers.
  • Making the glass sand batch. It is an important ingredient and raw material in the manufacture of glass because it reduces the melting temperature of quartz and helping to control the viscosity of glass.  The alkali content in feldspar acts as flux, lowering the glass batch melting temperature and thus reducing production costs.
  • Having properties of good dispersability, high chemical inertness, stable pH, high resistance to abrasion, low viscosity at high filler loading, interesting refractive index and resistance to frosting allows the feldspar to be used as fillers and extenders in applications such as paints, plastics and rubber.
  • It assists the enamel composition and feldspar gives a good fusibility for a product without defects assuring the absence of defects and the neatness of the end product such as enamel frits, ceramic glazes, ceramic tile glazes, sanitaryware, tableware, electrical porcelain and giftware.
  • Other uses are cements, insulating compositions, fertilizer;, tarred roofing materials, paint, mild abrasives, urethane, welding electrodes (production of steel), latex foam, the welding of rod coating, and road aggregate.