Magnetite Recovery [1]

1. Introduction
Magnetite (chemical formula Fe3O4) is one of the three common naturally occurring iron
oxides. Magnetite is the most magnetic of all the naturally occurring minerals on Earth. It is
black or brownish-black with a metallic luster, has a Mohs hardness of 5–6 and a black streak.
The chemical IUPAC name is iron (II, III) oxide and the common chemical name is ferrous-
ferric oxide.

Table 1 lists the generic specification of Magnetite as used in different countries of the
world for dense medium separation.
Table 1 Magnetite Specification

Country Estimated Moisture Particle- Magnetics Relative

annual content size content density
consumption (%) distribution (%) (kg/m3)
(tonnes) (µm)
Canada 7500 <10 <5% + 45 >95 >4800

United States 250000 <10 <5% + 45 >95 >4800

South Africa 115000 <10 <5% + 45 >95 4900-5200

<30% -10

United <10 ≥85% - 60 >97 >4850

Kingdom ≤27% - 10

Australia 80000 <10 <5% + 45 >95 >4800

<30% - 10

2. Magnetite Recovery
The key to medium recovery and control in magnetic dense-medium systems is the
magnetic separator. Three types of units are used, these being:
(a) permanent magnet wet drum, which is the most common;
(b) permanent magnet disc, which is employed as a scavenger to the drum type; and
(c) horizontal disc, used in conjunction with a settling cone where preconcentration
or thickening of dilute medium is employed.
 These units and other associated medium control circuits are responsible for ensuring that
the dense-medium washer performs at peak efficiency. The medium is the life’s blood of the
process, medium-pumping plays the part of the heart and the magnetic separator performs a
role analogous to liver and kidneys combined.

2.1. Drum Magnetic Separators

Two types of drum magnetic or wet-drum separator are employed for coal-cleaning
circuits;
(a) Co-current type – which is the most common (Figure 1)
(b) Counter-current type - which is normally only used as a secondary machine
(Figure 2)
Occasionally, double-drum or two-stage machines are used to save space (Figure 3).

Figure 1 Co-current Single Drum Magnetic Separator

 Figure 2 Counter-current Single Drum Magnetic Separator

Figure 3 Co-current Double Drum Magnetic Separator

2.1.1. Drum Magnetic Separator Construction

Drum separators differ little from one manufacturer to the next and all
comprise the following:

• Magnet unit is made from high-permeability steel and ceramic

elements of high-energy anisotropic barium or strontium ferrite.
These magnets are characterized by high coercivity, lightness and
high resistance to demagnetization. The magnets are arranged with
alternate polarity and are arranged at an optimum distance from the
slurry to provide the correct field-strength gradient. Figure 4 shows
a typical field-strength chart of the type commonly used to determine
the correct operating arrangements for a separator. The magnet unit
or yoke is mounted on the stationary drum shaft and its position can
 be adjusted (± 30-40o) by a lever. The gap between the tank and the
drum, which determines pulp flow rate, can also be adjusted
vertically, by shims inserted under the bearing housing and
horizontally by slotted holes or guides.
• Drum comprises of a stainless-steel main shell which is carried on
non-magnetic, corrosion-resistant end flanges fitted with self-
aligning scaled ball bearings. An expendable outer cover may be of
rubber, polyurethane or stainless steel, although the latter is the most
commonly used.
• Tank is constructed of stainless steel with easily removable tailings
outlet caps for replacement or interchangeable rubber orifice rings or
valves. The rubber rings are preferable because they are easily
changed and flow adjustment is simple. As for the drum, the feed
launder and all wearing surfaces can be rubber covered to improve
life.
• Feed and discharge box is the most effective feed boxes are those
incorporating a steady-head condition, i.e. two-compartment spill-
over type as shown in Figure 1.
• Drive – Most machines are either belt or chain driven by a totally
enclosed geared motor.
• Ancillaries - Drum scrapers, spray-water pipes and spill boxes are
all frequently used the former two providing assistance in
discharging of concentrate and the latter for double-drum machines
as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3.
• Capacities - Wet-drum separator capacities can vary according to the
magnetic field strength of the magnet unit, the direction of rotation
and the particle size of the magnetite. Normal machines used for
primary and secondary-stage duty range from 55-80 mT (550 – 800
G), but some higher strengths of up to 150 mT (1400 G) and their
potential benefit may be seen in Figure 4. Normal capacities are given
in Table .
 Figure 4 Magnetic field strength chart (from Sala International)

Table 2 Drum Magnetic Separator Capacities (Boxmag-Rapids)

Operating criteria
Nominal speed of rotation = 11 r.p.m.
Maximum solids content of feed = 20% by volume
Maximum magnetic content of slurry = 250 g/litre
Drum diameter (mm) 610 765 915 1070
Operating gap
normal 14 25 32 38
maximum 25 32 41 50
Maximum throughput 57 70 87.5 105
M3/h/ma
Maximum output 12.4 16.5 19.8 23.1
concentrate t/h/ma
Dutch State Mines recommended the following operating parameters for magnetic
separators:
• Concurrent operating drum separators should be selected with permanent
ceramic magnets.
• The feed concentration to the separator should be a maximum of 250 g/litre.
• The amount of magnetic and non-magnetic solids in the feed should not
exceed 16% by volume.
 • The magnets of the separator must be able to give a minimum flux density of
75 mT (750 G) in air at a distance from the drum of 50 mm.
• The relative density of the recovered magnetite concentrate should be 2.1 if
the separator is operating properly.
• A separator with an evenly distributed feed will normally not exceed a loss
of 0.3 g/litre.

2.2. Magnetite Recovery Systems

Much of the current technology of medium recovery used in modern plants is based
on that originally developed by the Dutch State Mines (DSM). The original design
concepts for media recovery circuits as recommended by DSM were:
(a) recovery system employing magnetic separators and magnetite thickening as
shown in Fig .
(b) recovery system without magnetite thickening, as shown in Fig.
(c) recovery system with cyclone thickening, as shown in Fig

Figure 5 Magnetite recovery circuit employing magnetic separators

In all dense-medium plants, the medium adhering to the products is rinsed away with
water. The diluted medium thus formed is then directed to the recovery system either by
gravity flow or by pumping, using heavy-duty slurry centrifugal pumps. The feed to the
recovery system therefore comprises:
 • the total amount of rinsing water;
• the adhering medium rinsed from the products;
• an overflow or bleed, from the dense-medium feed;
A source of make-up medium to compensate for loss.
The discharge of the recovery system consists of magnetite, normally with a
concentration as high as obtainable and non-magnetics tailings in a very dilute slurry,
which is bled off as effluent and usually employed for rinsing water as a further precaution
against loss.
Recovery system with magnetite thickeners - This system can be used for coal
cleaning when the feed to the cyclone classifiers of the recovery system contains a
magnetite concentration of less than 100 g/litre, and the density of the underflows of the
cyclones is less than 1.3. the diluted medium flows into a pump box and is pumped to
cyclone classifiers, the overflow of which reports to a thickener in which the magnetite
rapidly settles. The clarified water form the overflow of the thickener is uses again in the
plant as rinsing water. The underflow of the cyclone reports to the magnetic separator
from which the recovered magnetite, having a relative density of over 2.1, reports to the
thickener. The overflow of the cyclones, containing finer magnetite particles than the
underflow, is mixed with the latter in the thickener to obtain magnetite having the original
grain-size distribution. The effluent of the magnetic separator is sent to the normal tailings
thickener.
Recovery system without magnetite thickening - This method of magnetite
recovery is applicable where the dilute-medium feed to the recovery system contains a
concentration of magnetite up to a maximum of 250 g/litre. The dilute medium reports to
magnetic separators where the magnetite is recovered with a relative density of 2.1. The
discharge of the magnetic separators containing slurry and a small amount of magnetite is
pumped to cyclone classifiers, and the cyclone overflow returns to the rinsing system as
clarified water. The cyclone underflow, being the effluent water of the system, reports to
a secondary magnetic separator, the width of which is determined by the volume of this
underflow.
The slurry discharge from the secondary magnetic separator is removed from
the plant. If there is sufficient rinsing water available from other sources, the classifying
cyclone step may be eliminated. In these cases, the secondary magnetic separator can be
used as desliming water or be sent directly to the slurry section. The amount of effluent is
equal to the amount of fresh water fed to the system.
Recovery system with cyclone densifier - When a magnetic separator is fed with a
product with a relative density too low to effect the required separation and a thickener
cannot be used (cost, space, etc.), the relative density can be raised by using a cyclone
densifier as the concentrator. The feed to the cyclone concentrator is the magnetite
concentrate from the magnetic separator which must be diluted to about 8% by volume
before pumping it to the cyclone densifiers. This provides a medium concentration of up
to 400 g/litre.