Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Magnetic Separation
See also Solid Solid Separation, Introduction
William J. Bronkala, Applied Magnetic Systems, Inc., Greenfield, Wisconsin 53 220, United States
3) plate magnets, which are used at the bottom These magnets are suspended over conveyor
of chutes or launders; and belts or feeders and develop a deep magnetic
4) grate magnets employed in discharge hop- field through which the material on the conveyor
pers. must move. The term deep means that the mag-
netic field of a suspended magnet can extend to
Magnetic Pulleys. Magnetic pulleys are 760 mm (a pulleys effective magnetic field only
elongated cylinders supported by a shaft, used as extends to 130 mm). Any tramp iron contained
the head pulley for conveyors that transport ma- in the material being transported will be inter-
terial in a plant. Magnetic pulleys have magnets cepted and attracted to the suspended magnet
installed in them to provide a magnetic field of face.
the same strength around the pulley circumfer- Suspended magnets are available in both per-
ence, which removes any tramp iron contained in manent and electromagnetic types, with the elec-
the product. Magnetic pulleys are easy to install, tromagnetic unit applied to the deeper loads car-
have low initial cost, and accomplish continuous ried on belt conveyors. The depth of material car-
and automatic removal of tramp iron. A typical ried on the conveyor belt, the belt speed, and the
installation is shown in Figure 1. Magnetic pul- clearance required over the material on the belt
leys are available in diameters from 0.2 to 6.8 m will determine the size of the suspended magnet.
and in widths to match the conveyor belt width. Suspended magnets can be made self-cleaning
by installing a conveyor belt that runs over the
face of the magnet. A typical application of a
suspended magnet installation is shown in Fig-
ure 2.
Figure 2. Two ways of mounting suspended magnets to remove core nails from foundry sand on a conveyor belt
Magnetic Separation 5
3.2. Mineral Concentration and Product The tank arrangement has a feed entry point
Purification as well as collection hoppers for removal of
the weakly paramagnetic or diamagnetic (non-
The magnetic responsiveness of minerals pro- magnetic) and ferromagnetic products of the
vides an effective means of concentrating natu- magnet assembly. A typical arrangement is
rally occurring ores. shown in Figure 6.
Magnetic equipment used in wet mineral con- The feed to a wet drum separator is typically
centration includes a slurry in which the products to be separated
are carried, with water as a medium.
1) wet magnetic drum separators, Wet drum separators have generally been
2) magnetic filters, used to separate ferromagnetic particles such as
3) wet high-intensity magnetic separators magnetite and ferrosilica from diamagnetic sil-
(WHIMS), and ica and coal fines.
4) high-gradient magnetic separators (HGMS).
Magnetic Filters. A magnetic filter is a sim-
Magnetic separators used in dry mineral con-
ple device in which a direct-current electric coil
centration include
or permanent magnets are used to inductively
1) alternating polarity magnetic drum separa- magnetize a steel grid. The steel grid is arranged
tors, in such a way that the feed slurry or liquid passes
2) induced roll magnetic separators, through it. The grid has a large number of mag-
3) high-intensity crossbelt magnetic separators, netized edges that serve to collect any ferromag-
and netic particles present in the slurry or liquid feed.
4) high-intensity disk-magnetic separators. Periodically, the filter assembly must be
cleaned of the ferromagnetic particles collected,
which means that the feed must be stopped or
bypassed to permit washing or back flushing of
3.2.1. Wet Magnetic Separators the filter element. Magnetic filters are used to
clean oil, paint, clay slip, and other liquids or
Wet magnetic drum separators incorporate a sta- slurries containing fine iron contamination.
tionary electro- or permanent magnet assembly
held in a fixed position within a revolving drum Wet High-Intensity Magnetic Separators.
shell. The magnetic drum is mounted in a non- The WHIMS magnetic separator employs a ro-
magnetic tank arrangement. tating carousel in which a matrix of vertically
grooved plates, enclosed wedge-shaped bars, ex-
panded metal mesh, or steel balls is fixed within
a ring. Figure 7 shows the operation of a carousel
WHIMS unit. At each feed point, the slurry to
be separated is introduced and the magnetics are
collected on the matrix with the diamagnetic
nonmagnetics passing into a nonmagnetic
collection hopper below the separator. As the
matrix rotates, it is washed to remove any phys-
ically entrapped nonmagnetics.
Continued rotation of the matrix brings the
collected ferro- and paramagnetics into an essen-
tially unmagnetized zone where they are washed
off by a high-pressure water jet. These WHIMS
Figure 6. Wet drum magnetic separator separators have high magnetic field strength (in-
a) Rotation drum; b) Stationary magnet assembly; c) Re-
pulping box; d) Drum wash
tensity) and high magnetic field gradient and can
separate very weakly paramagnetic particles.
Magnetic Separation 7
Figure 9. Magnetic drum separator with radial poles alternating across the face width of the drum
A) Arrangement of poles: a) Drum heads; b) Stationary shaft
B) Principle of operation: a) Revolving cylinder; b) Stationary magnet assembly
Figure 10. Magnetic drum separator with axial poles alternating around the circumference of the drum
A) Arrangement of poles; B) Principle of operation
carried from the feed to the magnetic discharge Induced Roll Magnetic Separators. The
point. A magnetic drum is usually fed by a vi- induced roll magnet separator is a high-field-
brating or other type of spreading feeder on the strength magnetic separator that achieves a high
top vertical center line of the drum. Ferromag- field gradient and can remove paramagnetic
netic particles are attracted and held to the drum minerals from a dry granular feed. Because of
shell until they pass beyond the end of the mag- the narrow magnetic gaps used on this type of
net assembly, where they are discharged into a separator, the feed is usually less than 3 mm in
magnetic product collection hopper. diameter, and because of the surface activity of
In other applications where maximum purity very fine material, all particles 74 m (200
of the ferromagnetic product is desired, such as mesh) in diameter should be removed.
in municipal waste treatment, an underfeed such The induced roll separator has one or more
as illustrated in Figure 11 is used. In this ap- rotating rolls, made up of alternating steel and
plication, the ferromagnetics must be picked up diamagnetic disks that are inductively magne-
against the influence of gravity to reach the mag- tized by an electro- or permanent magnet source.
netic drum face. The principle of operation is shown in Figure 12.
Magnetic Separation 9
used to very selectively concentrate such weakly The newer, high-intensity, high-gradient
paramagnetic materials as columbite, tantalite, magnetic separators open up other areas of mag-
wolframite, monazite, uexenite, and other high- netic treatment that have been pursued in varying
value minerals. The use of a magnetized ring degrees to date. Some of these potential appli-
permits narrower separating air gaps and devel- cations are indicated in the following material:
ops magnetic fields with a high flux density at Mineral beneficiation in addition to those sys-
each air gap. tems listed above:
Antimony Magnesium
Arsenic Mercury
4. Applications Asbestos
Beryllium
Mica
Platinum-group metals
Bismuth Radium
The many types of magnetic separators result Cadmium Scandium
in a wide range of applications for these units. Coal Silicon
Cobalt Silver
They are used in tramp iron removal, mineral Copper Sulfur
processing, and iron recovery: Feldspar Tellurium
Gallium Thallium
Removal of tramp iron: Gold Thorium
Chemicals Pharmaceuticals Graphite Uranium
Cooling fluids Scrap metals Indium Vanadium
Food processing Miscellaneous materials Lead Zinc
Minerals (water, glass, cork, textiles) Lithium Zirconium
Mineral beneficiation:
Aluminum Molybdenum
Barium Nickel
Chromium Niobium
Water treatment (magnetic filtration):
Clay Rare earths Diamagnetic suspended solids (by magnetic
Diamond Rhenium seeding and flocculation)
Garnet Talc Dissolved solids (by magnetic seeding and
Germanium Tantalum
Hafnium Tin flocculation)
Iron Titanium Paramagnetic suspended solids
Kyanite Tungsten Oils
Manganese Yttrium
Recovery of iron: Waste treatment for recovery of ferromag-
Solid waste netic materials:
Heavy media (ferrosilicon)
Coal and oil ash
Ore tailings
Smelter and furnace dust
Magnetic Separation 11
Removal of paramagnetic particulate impu- 4) condition of feed material (wet, dry, or liquid
rities: slurry),
Chemicals 5) purity required in the ferro- or paramagnetic
Fluids concentrate or the diamagnetic product,
Minerals 6) temperature of the feed material and point of
Pharmaceuticals application,
7) material handling system involved,
Chemical processing:
8) operating cost parameters, and
Recovery of paramagnetic fine precipitates:
9) level of magnetic strength required.
deposition and recovery of substances on fer-
romagnetic particles.
The selection of a particular magnetic sepa- 5. References
rator will be influenced by several factors such
as 1. J. D. Kraus: Electromagnetics, McGraw-Hill,
1) size of feed material, New York 1953.
2) tonnage or capacity to be handled, 2. D. M. Hopstock: Fundamental Aspects of
3) relative magnetic responsiveness (i.e., sus- Design and Performance of Low Density Dry
ceptibility) of the material to be separated Magnetic Separators, Trans Soc. Min. Eng.
AIME 258 (1975) 222 227.
magnetically,
12 Magnetic Separation
3. Permanent Magnet Handbook, Crucible Steel 21. H. W. Buus: How to Select Magnetic
Company of America. Separation Equipment, Foundry, December
4. R. L. Sanford: Permanent Magnets, National 1960.
Bureau of Standards C448, 1944. 22. R. K. Singhal: Magnetic Separators for
5. J. E. Lawver, D. M. Hopstock: Wet Magnetic Mineral Processing, Min. Mag., 113 (1965)
Separation of Weakly Magnetic Minerals, no. 5, 356 365.
Miner. Sci. Eng. 6 (1974) no. 3, 154 172. 23. E. J. Roberts, P. Stavenger, J. P. Bowersox,
6. R. S. Dean, C. W. Davis: Magnetic Separation A. K. Walton, M. Melita: Solids
of Ores, Bulletin 425, US Bureau of Mines, Concentration, Chem. Eng. (N.Y), June 29,
1942. 1970, pp. 52 68.
7. A. Nussbaum: Electronic and Magnetic 24. W. J. Bronkala: Purification: Do It With
Behavior of Materials, Prentice-Hall, Magnets, Chem. Eng. (N. Y.) 95 (1988) no. 3,
Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1967. 133 138.
8. V. G. Derkatsch: Die magnetische Aufbereitung
25. P. B. Sherwood: Cross Belt and In-Line
schwachmagnetischer Erze, VEB Deutscher
Primary Magnets, N.S.A. Operators Meeting,
Verlag fur Grundstoffindustrie, Leipzig 1960.
Salt Lake City, Utah, February 4 6, 1976.
9. J. A. Oberteuffer: Magnetic Separation: A
26. R. B. Jacob, J. A. Selvaggi: Operating
Review of Principles, Devices, and
Characteristics of the Newly Designed High
Applications, IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG 10
Gradient Magnetic Separator (HGMS), AIME
(1974) no. 2, 223 238.
10. P. W. Selwood: Magnetochemistry, 2nd ed., Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga, March 6 10,
Interscience, New York 1956. 1983.
11. J. E. Lawver, D. M. Hopstock: Electrostatic 27. H. Harley-Smith: Magnetic Separation in
and Magnetic Separation, SME Mineral Mineral Beneficiation, Metals and Minerals
Processing Handbook, Sect. 6, Society of International. Perrys Chemical Handbook:
Mining Engineers, New York 1985. Solid Solid Systems and Liquid Liquid
12. I. S. Wells: Wet Separation of Paramagnetic Systems, 6th ed., Chapter 21, McGraw Hill,
Minerals, Chem. Eng. (Rugby, England), New York 1984.
1982. 28. M. Gupta: A New Method of Magnetic
13. G. Clark (ed.): Magnetic Separation, Ind. Separation of Ferro and Para-Magnetic
Miner., 1985. Minerals from Feebly Magnetic and
14. J. E. Forciea, L. G. Hendrickson, O. E. Non-Magnetic Minerals, Proc Australas. Inst
Palasvirta: Magnetic Separation for Mesabi Min Metall, No. 274, June 1980.
Magnetite, Taconite, Min. Eng. (Littleton, 29. G. Clary, (ed.): Magnetic Separation 4,
Colo.) 10 (1958) 339 345. Industrial Minerals, May 1985.
15. J. E. Forciea, R. W. Salmi: Primary Magnetic 30. L. A. Roc: Magnetic Separation of
Separation Specifications, Trans. Soc. Min. Ores History and New Foreign
Eng. AIME 232 (1965) 339 345. Developments, Annual AIME Meeting, New
16. B. Skold: Progress in Magnetic Separation, York, February 16 20, 1958.
Mineral Processing Meeting of Swedish 31. R. F. Merwin: How to Remove Tramp Iron
Mining Society, Skellerftea, January 1970. from Burdens Carried on Conveyor Belt,
17. G. H. Jones, Proc. Int. Miner. Process. Congr., Annual AIME Meeting, Tampa, Florida,
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 1960, October 13 15, 1966.
pp. 717 732. 32. C. K. McArthur: P. R. Porath, Concentrating
18. J. Iannicelli, Clays Clay Miner. 24 (1976) Iron Ore in a Mobile Plant, Min. Congr. J. 33
64 68. (1965) October 28.
19. E. J. Tenpas: Magnetic SeparatorsTypes and
33. J. A. Oberteuffer: Magnetic Separation: A
Applications, Rock Prod. , 1971.
20. E. Laurilla: An Approach to the Theoretical Review of Principles, Devices and
Treatment of Magnetic Concentration, ser. A, Applications, Institute of Electrical and
vol. 6, Physica-Helsinki 1958. Electronics Engineers Inc., Copyright, 1977.