The Mineral Distribution of Hsiang-Yang Mica, Taiwan

The Hsiang-Yang mica deposit, which belongs to the sericite-pyrophyllite-quartz schist, is located at Litao Village of Taitung County, Taiwan, R.O.C. The total reserve is estimated to be about 30 million tons. Hsiang-Yang mica is one of the most economically valuable industrial minerals of R.O.C. The mineral distributions of sericite and pyrophyllite in various size ranges of the ore were investigated. From the results of contact angle measurement, XRD analysis, SEM and the chemical analysis, it is found that the average sericite content in the mica powder is about 60% and pyrophyllite is about 40%. In the ＞20 μm size range, the sericite content is about 18%, while pyrophyllite is about 82%. The concentration of sericite increases with decreasing particle size. In the size range of ＜10 μm, the sericite content is 73%. On the other hand, pyrophyllite content is 70% for sizes ＞10 μm.