Iron Ore Beneficiation Test Explained

The beneficiation test is an important and necessary part of concentrators’ process design. It's difficult to distinguish minerals accurately from physical eyes. The purpose of the mineral processing test is to simulate the actual working conditions of beneficiation plant and gain guide for the plant. This article will give detailed explanations of iron ore beneficiation test. Let's dive in now!

Iron ore beneficiation test scheme refers to the beneficiation plan to be used in the iron ore test, including adopted beneficiation method, beneficiation process and beneficiation equipment. In order to exactly simulate iron ore beneficiation test scheme, you must first determined your iron ore properties and take a series of factors, such as political, economic, and technical factors, into considerations.

You need to prepare the plant before you start the iron ore beneficiation test. The plan should have a correct guiding ideology for the entire test, and rationally arrange the progress of the beneficiation test. Iron ore processing test plan is divided into two types: work plan and operation plan.

The main contents of the iron ore test work plan are:

• Subjects, tasks and requirements of the experiment;

• Current status of domestic and foreign experimental research, especially advanced experience;

• Sampling and representative review of mineral samples, preparation of mineral samples

• Identification of ore properties

• Exploratory test of beneficiation method, test plan selection, possible problems

• Detailed process test

• Personnel organization, professional cooperation, process connection and preparation of required physical conditions

• Data processing and preparation of reports

• Progress and measures

Iron ore processing test report is the summary and record of the experimental work. The report calls for accurate and reliable data, thorough and comprehensive analysis, conclusions in line with reality, and concise and clear description. The main content of iron ore beneficiation test usually includes:

• Source, purpose and requirements of the test task

• Main results of ore properties research

• Beneficiation test and results

• Conclusion

• References

• Annex

The size and equipment of beneficiation laboratories are not only related to the scale of the iron ore beneficiation plant, but also related to the complexity of the iron ore beneficiation method and process. The equipment each lab used is as following:

Magnetic separation laboratory. In addition to the sample processing equipment, the magnetic separation laboratory for simple and easy-separated ore includes a magnetic dehydration tank, a magnetic separation tube, a magnetic separation column and simple magnetic separation equipment. For complex concentrators that adopt the combined process of calcination-magnetic separation or strong magnetic separation should be equipped with calcinators or magnetic separation equipment accordingly in addition.

Flotation laboratory. For single metal ore, only a small laboratory is needed. Apart from sample processing equipment, there are some grinding and flotation equipment. For polymetallic complex ores, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the scale of concentrators and importance of their products. Generally, large-scale concentrators can set up a continuity laboratory; small and medium-sized concentrators can adopt small-scale closed-circuit tests.

Gravity separation laboratory. Apart from sample processing equipment, the difference between large, medium and small laboratories is only in equipment specifications and quantities, and small laboratories have fewer equipment.

Concentrators with combined beneficiation methods. The joint mineral processing method laboratory determines the experimental equipment according to the adopted mineral processing method to ensure the tests under various conditions.

The iron ore beneficiation test process mainly includes dry separation processing test, wet weak magnetic separation processing test, wet strong magnetic separation processing test, reverse flotation processing test, etc. details as follows:

1. Dry separation processing test

The iron ore dry separation test project mainly uses an eccentric rotating magnetic system permanent magnet drum dry separator with a magnetic field strength of 4500GS.

The feed particle size is divided into three sizes, namely 2mm, 5mm, and 10mm (the position of the separating plate is 300mm, the speed of the sorting cylinder is 1.6 m/s, and the speed of the magnetic system is fixed at 120r/min). There are 3 dry feed sizes. Choose test.

Test or calculation will be conducted to determine the TFe, mFe, yield, and recovery rate of dry beneficiation concentrates and dry beneficiation tailings.

2. Wet-type weak magnetic separation test

The iron ore wet weak magnetic separation test project mainly adopts a permanent-magnet drum-type magnetic separator with a magnetic field strength of 2000GS.

Grind the dry beneficiation concentrate separately into -200 mesh account for 60%, 80%, 100%, and do 3 wet magnetic separation tests for products with these 3 fineness of grinding.

Test or calculation will be conducted to determine TFe, mFe, yield, and recovery rate of wet weak magnetic separation concentrate and wet weak magnetic separation tailings.

3. Wet-type strong magnetic separation test

The iron ore wet strong magnetic separation test project mainly uses a vertical ring high gradient magnetic separator with field strength of 12000GS.

Wet-type strong magnetic separation will be carried out for the products with the above 3 fineness of grinding.

Test or calculation will be conducted to determine the TFe, mFe, yield, and recovery rate of wet-type strong magnetic separation concentrate and wet-type strong magnetic separation tailings.

4. Determine whether to do the reverse flotation test

If the iron recovery rate is not well, the iron ore flotation test can be used. Do the flotation process and get the best dressing process and equipment.

You usually need to provide 100 kg iron raw ores for the lab to finish the mineral processing test. However, if your ore is at low grade and the components is complex, more than 100kg samples will be needed to ensure a accurate result.

The mineral processing prices vary from different minerals. It MAY costs $100 to 2000$. Some mining companies will do the test for you for free. But the result is sample, and you can get a mineral processing report. So it’s better to let a professional lab to do the test for better upcoming concentrator design.

Iron ore beneficiation is an industry with large investment and high return. Iron ore beneficiation methods include magnetic separation process, flotation process, gravity separation process, electric separation process, wind separation process, etc. Different methods are used for different iron raw ore with different properties. It is strongly recommended to choose the best method based on mineral processing results, so you can design the best beneficiation process, buy the most suitable beneficiation equipment.

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