Fine hydraulic screening for staged separation of titanium-magnetite concentrate

Abstract

This article covers the applications of fine hydraulic screening for the staged separation of titanium-magnetite concentrates upstream of the last grinding stage and provides an evaluation of its process efficiency options for the Kachkanarsky GOK. In all screen operating modes tested, the mass fraction of iron in the undersize was higher than its mass fraction in the oversize, but failed to reach the target value for the concentrate of 61 %. Therefore, the undersize must be subjected to additional magnetic concentration. Staged separation of the concentrate by fine screening allows either to improve concentrator performance (by up to 10 %) or to increase the concentration process indicators without changing the grinding equipment volume. In this case, the undersize yield averages 55 %. The use of the staged concentrate separation technology with fine screening at constant process parameters and steady factory performance allows reducing the tertiary mill volume in relative terms, not exceeding half of the undersize yield from the operation, which shall be 65–70 %. The minimum permissible values of the mass fraction of iron and of the –0.071 mm class in the screen feed and the undersize must be ensured for obtaining the required concentrate grade. The values of these indicators depend on the material composition of the ore and the concentration process used.