With the increasing depletion of global mineral resources, the requirements for ore utilization efficiency are getting higher and higher. For the beneficiation of low-grade ores, it is difficult to meet the needs of modern mining production by using a single beneficiation method. For example, magnetite often contains a large amount of non-magnetic gangue minerals, and the minerals are interlocked with each other. It is difficult to achieve the ideal recovery rate and concentrate grade by using a single magnetic separation or flotation process. Combined flotation and magnetic separation is an effective means to solve this problem. Through complementarity and optimization, it will greatly improve the beneficiation efficiency and resource utilization of magnetite ore resources. This article will discuss the application of the combined process of flotation and magnetic separation in magnetite ore beneficiation, the combined process design and its optimization.
Magnetite contains magnetite, hematite, pyrrhotite, feldspar, quartz and clay. These minerals are interlocked with each other. It is difficult to effectively separate magnetic minerals from gangue minerals using a single magnetic separation technology or flotation technology, which will result in a waste of ore resources and unsatisfactory dressing results. In addition, magnetite has a fine particle size and a strong hydrophilicity on the surface of the mineral. When the grade of magnetite is low, these characteristics will be more obvious, further increasing the difficulty of dressing. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop an efficient magnetite combined dressing process to improve the separation effect.
The combined process of flotation and magnetic separation can be combined in various ways according to the properties of magnetite and the beneficiation objectives. Common combined processes include magnetic separation first and then flotation and flotation first and then magnetic separation.
1. Magnetic separation first and then flotation: This method can be used when the content of magnetic minerals in magnetite is high and the gangue minerals are non-magnetic minerals. First, most of the magnetic minerals are removed by magnetic separation, and then flotation is used for further separation to improve flotation efficiency.
2. Flotation first and then magnetic separation: This method can be used when there are more non-magnetic ores in magnetite. First, the gangue minerals in the ore are removed by flotation, and then the remaining magnetic minerals are recovered by magnetic separation. This process is more suitable for processing ores with finer particle sizes and effectively improves the separation accuracy.
Key steps of the combined mineral processing process
How to optimize the combination of flotation and magnetic separation is the core of the combined process design, among which the key steps are: pretreatment stage, flotation and magnetic separation process combination, and reagent use.
1. Pretreatment stage: crush, screen and grind the raw ore to ensure that the ore reaches the appropriate particle size for sorting and improve the subsequent sorting efficiency.
2. Combined process of flotation and magnetic separation: according to the different properties of the ore, select the appropriate mineral processing sequence and process, such as magnetic separation first and then flotation or flotation first and then magnetic separation.
3. Use of mineral processing reagents: The reasonable combination of flotation reagents and magnetic separation reagents is the key to mineral processing. When selecting reagents, it is necessary to consider the interaction between the two sorting methods to ensure that they will not be negatively affected during sorting.
1. Interaction between minerals: As mentioned above, the interlocking of gangue minerals and magnetite in magnetite makes beneficiation difficult. Magnetite has fine mineral particles and complex mineralogy, especially the close mixing between magnetic minerals and non-magnetic minerals, which will make it very difficult to separate magnetite and affect the separation efficiency.
2. Selection and proportion of reagents: In combined beneficiation, flotation reagents and magnetic separation reagents will interfere with each other, so the selection and proportion of reagents need to be noted. The use and proportion of flotation reagents need to be adjusted according to the characteristics of the ore. How to optimize the reagent system is the key to achieving high efficiency of beneficiation.
3. Balance between recovery rate and concentrate grade: When using the combined process to separate magnetite, there is a contradiction between concentrate grade and recovery rate. When the recovery rate is increased, the concentrate grade will often decrease, while the concentrate grade will decrease the recovery rate. Therefore, how to reasonably adjust the process parameters and optimize the equipment configuration is the key to balancing the recovery rate and concentrate grade.
1. Process optimization: First, determine the combination of magnetic separation and flotation through beneficiation tests, and then add a fine separation stage to the beneficiation process to further improve the recovery rate and concentrate grade.
2. Selection and configuration of beneficiation equipment: The configuration of flotation machines and magnetic separators needs to be reasonably matched according to the beneficiation scale and process requirements to ensure that the equipment in the beneficiation process works together to maximize the beneficiation efficiency.
3. Application of intelligent and automated technologies: Intelligent and automated technologies are constantly developing. The introduction of intelligent control systems in beneficiation processes can detect beneficiation processes in real time, make timely adjustments, and avoid stagnation in beneficiation.
The above is the application, challenge and optimization of the combined process of flotation and magnetic separation in magnetite ore beneficiation. In actual production, the combined process has obvious advantages, which can effectively solve the limitations of single beneficiation and improve the efficiency of beneficiation. However, there are many challenges in combined beneficiation. Timely introduction of new technologies and equipment will promote the efficiency and accuracy of the combined process of flotation and magnetic separation.
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