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Heavy Media Separation

Dense media separation is a process where an ore with particles of different densities is immersed in a liquid with a specific gravity between the densities of the ore particles. The lighter particles float while the heavier particles sink, allowing them to be separated. The efficiency depends on the difference in specific gravities between the ore and liquid. Magnetic separation uses magnets to separate magnetic minerals, which are attracted to the magnet, from non-magnetic minerals, which are not. Proper sizing of the ore particles is important for effective magnetic separation. These processes are used to concentrate and separate minerals during mineral processing.

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Ravi Krishnan
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669 views4 pages

Heavy Media Separation

Dense media separation is a process where an ore with particles of different densities is immersed in a liquid with a specific gravity between the densities of the ore particles. The lighter particles float while the heavier particles sink, allowing them to be separated. The efficiency depends on the difference in specific gravities between the ore and liquid. Magnetic separation uses magnets to separate magnetic minerals, which are attracted to the magnet, from non-magnetic minerals, which are not. Proper sizing of the ore particles is important for effective magnetic separation. These processes are used to concentrate and separate minerals during mineral processing.

Uploaded by

Ravi Krishnan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DENSE MEDIA SEPARATION

Process:
 An ore having particles of different densities is immersed in a
liquid having specific gravity in between the specific gravities
of the associated particles (feed)
 The lighter particles would float; the heavier would sink and
these can be taken out separately
 This process does not depend on rate of fall or size of ore
 Efficiency depends on the differences between specific
gravities of the ore and the specific gravity of the medium
 The dense media formed is affected by
o Its viscosity
o By the size and shape of the particles
o pH of the media
Various steps involved in the operation
 preparation of feed suitable for separation
 presentation of prepared feed to separating bath
 separation of floats and sinks in dense media
 withdrawal of products
 removal of dense media adhered to products and cleaning
 reconstitution and return of media to bath of clean dense
media
Types of Media used in DMS
Classified into four classes
 Solutions of salts in water
o ZnCl2, CaCl2
 Organic heavy liquids

1
o Bromoform (CHBr3, specific gravity-2.89)
o Methylene bromide (CH2Br2, specific gravity-2.48)
o Tetra-bromo-ethane (C2H2Br4, specific gravity-2.96)
 Autogenous media provided by the pulp
o Pyrites and magnetites
 Suspensions of solids in water
o Galena, Silica, Magnetic materials
Equipments used for process
 Separator vessel
 Mechanical or hydraulic means or combination of both to
keep the material in proper pulp state
 Arrangements for removing adhering particles of medium
from the products
 Settling devices
 Devices for cleaning thickened media

Applicability
 in separating the minerals having adequate difference in
specific gravities and liberated at coarser size
 generally applicable to a feed ranging from about 8 cm down
to 2 mm
 e.g separation of tungsten, uranium, and vanadium minerals
from calcite and quartz
 is quite economic, simple and an efficient method of gravity
separation of coarse and medium sized materials, coal

2
MAGNETIC SEPARATION

 is effective due to the distinctive movement of magnetic


minerals towards a magnet and non-magnetic minerals away
from it
 is due to response to an attractive force of magnetism
o paramagnetic
o dia-magnetic
 magnetic susceptibility – ratio of the magnetisation to that of
the field creating it
 magnetic permeability – ratio of the induction to the
magnetising field
Material preparation
Proper sizing is required
Fine crushing in the size range 20-100 mesh is essential
(to avoid the need of placing high intensity field)

Application of magnetic separation


 Wider applications in the concentration of low grade
magnetic ores
 Middlings can be retreated for recovery improvement
 Removal of deleterious magnetic material from a product
such as china clay, silica sand, etc
 Cleaning of magnetic material used in heavy media
separation
 Removal of tramp iron from ore to safeguard machines
Dry Magnetic Separation

3
 It can be practised at low as well as high intensity
 Used more commonly in concentration of lump ores and
coarse sand to remove strongly magnetic particles
 A rough concentrate obtained from this process may need
further comminution and magnetic treatment
Advantages
 More economic due to absence of water requirement
 The process is attractive in the field of dry Autogenous
grinding and typical climatic conditions
Types
 Dry belt magnetic separator
 Dry drum separator
 High Intensity dry magnetic separator
 Magnetic precipitator
Wet Magnetic Separation
Magnetic particles are held in the matrix, where as non-
magnetised zone to the discharge chute

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