Surface chemical and selective flocculation studies on iron oxide and silica suspensions in the presence of xanthan gum

•Selective flocculation is one of the plausible solid-solid separation methods.•Xanthan gum can be prudently used for selective flocculation of Fe2O3-SiO2 mixture.•Xanthan gum interacts with Fe2O3 through electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonding.