Short answer
Celestite is the most common economic mineral source of strontium. Its association with gangue minerals determines liberation size and preparation before beneficiation.
- Principal mineral
- Celestite (SrSO₄)
- Secondary mineral
- Strontianite (SrCO₃)
- Preparation objective
- Liberation from gangue and product size control
Why is celestite the main strontium ore mineral?
Strontium occurs in trace amounts in many rocks, but celestite is the most common mineral in economic concentrations. Strontianite is less common, and deposit mineralogy changes the preparation approach.
How is the grinding target selected?
The size required to liberate celestite from gangue is established on representative samples. Excess fines can unnecessarily complicate downstream beneficiation and solid-liquid separation.
Why does association with barite matter?
Celestite and barite are related sulfate minerals and can show similar physical behaviour. Joint analysis of Ba, Sr and gangue distribution helps define separation difficulty.
Process data
- Celestite/strontianite proportion
- Ba-Sr chemical analysis
- Feed particle size
- Liberation and fine fraction
- Target product purity