Ways to Improve Iron Ore Beneficiation Efficiency

01Application of new iron ore beneficiation technology

With the gradual decline of ore grade and the increase of complex ore types, traditional mineral processing technology can no longer meet the needs of modern mineral processing. Therefore, the development and application of new mineral processing technology has become one of the key factors to improve mineral processing efficiency.

1. Application of efficient flotation technology

Flotation is an important process for iron ore beneficiation, especially for difficult-to-process ores such as siderite and limonite. Traditional flotation technology is difficult to effectively recover fine-grained ore mud, resulting in a low recovery rate of iron concentrate. With the advancement of flotation technology, efficient flotation processes such as selective flocculation flotation have been widely used. This process uses specific reagents to flocculate the target mineral, thereby avoiding the influence of fine-grained ore mud on the flotation effect. Selective flocculation flotation not only improves the recovery rate of iron ore, but also optimizes the quality of concentrate.

2. Magnetic separation-flotation combined process

For complex ores containing both magnetic and non-magnetic minerals in iron ore, the new magnetic separation-flotation combined process shows superiority. For example, for siderite and limonite, the combination of roasting magnetic separation and flotation process significantly improves the recovery rate and grade of iron concentrate. By combining the magnetic separation process to process magnetic minerals and the flotation process to focus on the separation of non-magnetic minerals, this combined process not only improves the ability to process refractory iron ore, but also reduces production costs.

3. Dry beneficiation technology

The traditional wet beneficiation technology has problems such as large water consumption and high processing costs, especially in arid or water-scarce mining areas. The application of dry beneficiation technology provides an effective way to solve this problem. The development of dry magnetic separation, dry gravity separation and other technologies has enabled efficient ore separation under water-free or low-water conditions. Dry beneficiation can not only reduce environmental pollution, but also reduce water costs and further improve iron ore beneficiation efficiency.

02Application of new reagents in iron ore beneficiation

Mineral processing agents can significantly improve the mineral separation efficiency and slurry processing effect. With the advancement of mineral processing technology, major breakthroughs have been made in the research and development of pharmaceuticals targeting different ore characteristics. The application of new pharmaceuticals provides new solutions for improving the efficiency of iron ore beneficiation.

1. Application of new collectors

Collecting agents can increase the flotation capacity of target minerals in the flotation process. Traditional collectors often suffer from poor selectivity and poor mineral surface activation when treating iron ore. New collectors such as cationic collectors or bifunctional collectors can significantly improve the selective flotation effect of iron ore. These agents can not only effectively remove silicon and aluminum impurities in the ore, but also prevent the mixing of iron ore and other non-metallic minerals, further improving the grade of the concentrate.

2. Application of selective flocculants

In the flotation process of iron ore, fine-grained ore slime has always been a difficult problem to solve, which easily affects the flotation effect. New selective flocculants can selectively adsorb on the target minerals and flocculate them into larger particles, which is convenient for separation during the flotation process. The application of these flocculants, especially for difficult-to-treat ores such as limonite and siderite, has greatly improved the accuracy and recovery rate of flotation.

3. Application of efficient inhibitors and regulators

Harmful impurity minerals in iron ore, such as phosphorus and sulfur, will affect the quality of steel products. New efficient inhibitors and regulators can selectively inhibit the flotation of impurity minerals during the flotation process to ensure the purity of iron ore. These agents improve the properties of the mineral surface, making the separation of target minerals and impurity minerals more thorough, thereby improving the grade of the concentrate and reducing the cost of impurity treatment in the subsequent smelting process.

03Application of new iron ore beneficiation equipment

With the advancement of mineral processing technology, the innovation of mineral processing equipment has also played an indispensable role in improving the efficiency of iron ore beneficiation. The application of new equipment not only improves the processing capacity, but also shows greater advantages in energy consumption, environmental protection and other aspects.

1. Efficient flotation equipment

Traditional flotation equipment is not effective in processing fine-grained ores and consumes a lot of energy. New flotation equipment, such as the KYF flotation machine, not only has low energy consumption but also has high flotation efficiency. The equipment uses a special gas distribution system to distribute bubbles more evenly during the flotation process, avoid the agglomeration of fine particles in the slurry, and improve the flotation effect. In addition, the advanced automatic control system can monitor the parameter changes during the flotation process in real time, optimize the equipment operation status, and further improve the ore dressing efficiency.

2. Update of magnetic separation equipment

Traditional magnetic separation equipment often suffers from low sorting efficiency when processing artificial magnetite or refractory ores. The new closed magnetic circuit magnetic separation equipment not only significantly improves the separation efficiency, but can also reduce magnetic agglomeration in the slurry. This type of equipment performs well when processing ores such as artificial magnetite and limonite, especially in the separation of low-grade ores, and can effectively improve the grade of concentrates.

3. Upgrading of grinding equipment

In the mineral processing process, grinding efficiency plays a decisive role in the entire mineral processing process. New grinding equipment, such as high-pressure roller mills, ultra-fine grinding equipment, etc., can grind ore to finer particle sizes in a shorter time, thereby improving the efficiency of subsequent flotation and magnetic separation. This type of equipment is not only highly efficient, but can also significantly reduce energy consumption and wear and tear, reducing the company's operating costs.

Improving the efficiency of iron ore beneficiation not only depends on the application of new processes, new reagents and new equipment, but also requires careful parameter optimization and process adjustment during the production process. By rationally using these innovative technologies, enterprises can reduce production costs while improving concentrate recovery, reducing resource waste, and further improving the comprehensive utilization rate of mineral resources. Against the backdrop of increasingly tight global mineral resources, the innovation and optimization of iron ore beneficiation technology will continue to be a key force in promoting the sustainable development of the mining industry.