Feldspar minerals are essential ingredients for the glass and ceramic-glass industries. The potassium element found in certain proportions in the composition of K-feldspar minerals has a fundamental function in the growth of plants. The production of potassium fertilizers is mostly made from the soluble minerals, which are located in lakes. Despite having a huge area of use in the agriculture industry, the reserves of these salts are limited and not evenly distributed in the earth’s crust. Due to the high availability of feldspar reserves in the earth’s crust, the production of potential potassium salts can provide a wide range of social and economic benefits. In this study, potassium extraction from a feldspar ore, which contained microcline, albite, muscovite, and quartz, was studied using chloridizing (CaCl₂) roasting followed by leaching. Direct leaching experiments were also performed on the sample by adapting various solvents. To emphasize the importance of roasting before the dissolution process, different parameters such as particle size, roasting temperature, and duration, as well as the feldspar/CaCl₂ ratio, were tested. Under the optimum conditions (i.e., −106 microns, 850 Co, 60 minutes, 1:1.5 feldspar:CaCl₂), 99% of the potassium was successfully extracted from the ore feed.

Plastics have become the widely used materials because of their advantages, such as cheapness, endurance, lightness, and hygiene. However, they occur as solid waste masses within a short time when used in package industry. This causes waste and soil pollution, because they do not decompose. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are the most important varieties of plastics that are usually used in the manufacturing drinking water bottles. Depending on their surface characteristics, these plastics can be separated from each other by flotation method. But, all plastics are naturally hydrophobic. In order to employ flotation for the separation process, one of these plastics is made hydrophilic, while the other remains hydrophobic. Plasticizer reagents are used to change the plastics' surface character and make them hydrophilic. The aim of this investigation is to research selective flotation of used PET and HDPE by utilizing Triton XL-100N and Diethylene Glycol Dibenzoate-type plasticizers at optimum temperature, pH, and conditioning time. As a result of this investigation, PET–HDPE concentrates having about 100% purities were obtained with 100% recovery, when the mixture of PET–HDPE was conditioned for 30 min with 40 kg/t NaOH at pH 10 and 1000 g/t Dietilen Glycol Dibenzoate at 50°C.

Wollastonite and calcite minerals are significant raw materials and are extensively used due to their unique properties. Wollastonite is used in plastics, paint, ceramics, paper, resins, and in construction as a substitution for asbestos due to its chemical stability, thermal resistivity, needle-like shape, and brightness. Calcite is one of the most used raw materials because of its low hardness, high alkalinity, sorptive properties, white and bright color. Wollastonite and calcite are two minerals found together in nature. The most common method used for separating these two minerals is flotation. In this study, the surface properties of pure mineral samples were investigated. The pH profiles of both minerals were obtained by measuring the surface charge of particles followed by the measurement of the zeta potential in different collector concentrations. The wettability of minerals was examined by measuring their contact angles.

Potassium, which is included in certain contents in the structure of K-feldspar minerals, has a very important function in the growth of plants. Turkey hosts the largest feldspar reserves in the world and is by far the leader in feldspar mining. The production of potassium salts from local natural sources can provide great contributions both socially and economically in the agriculture industry along with glass production, cleaning materials, paint, bleaching powders, and general laboratory purposes. In this study, potassium extraction from K-feldspar ore with an 8.42% K₂O content was studied using chloridizing (CaCl₂) roasting followed by water leaching. Initially, to produce wollastonite and calcite concentrates, froth flotation tests were conducted on wollastonite-calcite ore after comminution. Thus, wollastonite and calcite concentrates with purities of 99.4% and 91.96% were successfully produced. Then, a calcite concentrate was combined with hydrochloric acid (HCl) under optimal conditions of a 1 mol/L HCl acid concentration, a 60 °C leaching temperature, and a 10 min leaching time to produce CaCl₂. To bring out the importance of roasting before the dissolution process, different parameters such as roasting temperature, duration, and feldspar—CaCl₂ ratios were tested. Under optimal conditions (a 900 °C roasting temperature, a 60 min duration, and a 1:1.5 feldspar—CaCl₂ ratio), 98.6% of the potassium was successfully extracted by the water leaching process described in this article.