Influence of separation chamber shape in dry magnetic separator on the dispersion and separation of multiple magnetites

Abstract

Dry magnetic separators are a common type of equipment for separating magnetic particles from nonmagnetic particles or relatively strong magnetic particles from relatively weak magnetic particles. However, the separation efficiency is not satisfactory when fine-grained particles are processed because of their strong tendency to aggregate. The separation efficiency of a dry magnetic separator depends on the optimization of the material characteristics and process variables, as well as the design characteristics of the equipment. However, previous studies on dry magnetic separators have neglected the influence of the separation chamber shape on the sorting efficiency. Therefore, in this study, three dry magnetic separators with separation chambers with different shapes are investigated, and a multiphysics coupling model is developed to simulate the separation process of fine magnetic particles in these three dry magnetic separators. The predicted results show that the wavy-shaped separation chamber (WSC) can promote the irregular movement of the airflow and then generate a large amount of vortex to promote the dispersion of particles. Moreover, the WSC can effectively improve the recovery of magnetite and high-grade intergrowth particles and the separation efficiency of the equipment. By comparing the experimental results with the simulation results, the correctness of the prediction results is verified. This study provides a new concept for improving the separation efficiency of fine multiple magnetites in dry magnetic separators.