Reverse Acid Leaching for Removal of Iron in Kaolinitic Clay in Cay Guam, Moa Cuba

Abstract

The objective of the study was to clean the kaolinitic clays in Cay Guam ore body through reverse acid leaching using chloride acid as a leach agent in order to clean the clay by eliminating the iron content. Techniques such as infrared and fluorescence spectrometry and X ray diffraction were applied during the characterization of the original raw material and after the reverse acid leaching process took place. The implementation of this method allowed extracting more than 98% of iron impurities, which resulted in obtaining a purer clay with silicon content of 60.48% and aluminum oxide of 49,50%. It was proved that the structure of the clay is not affected by reverse acid leaching and thus constitutes a method of beneficiation for kaolinites pigmented with iron.

Keywords

• arcilla caolinítica
• ácido clorhídrico
• lixiviación ácida inversa
• yacimiento Cayo Guam.