Intensification of waste gangue removal from 6–1 mm fine-sized iron ores based on density-based dry vibrated separation and upgrading

Abstract

Density-based dry separation with a vibrated fluidized bed was performed to investigate the segregation and separation of 6–1 mm fine-sized iron ore through the removal intensification of waste gangue. The 6–3 mm and 3–1 mm iron ore samples were a typical hematite with total Fe-grades of 46.5% and 46.2%, respectively. The effects of static bed height (Hs), vibration amplitude (A), and frequency (f) on the fluidization characteristics of the fine-sized iron ore were experimentally studied. Fluidization tests indicated that the appropriate operational factors of Hs = 80–110 mm, A = 1.5–2.5 mm, and f = 13–17 Hz should be adjusted to ensure fluidization stability. The separation performance of the fine-sized iron ore was studied under various operational conditions. The highest concentrate recoveries were 74.2% and 69.1% under the optimal operational factors for the 6–3 and 3–1 mm iron ore samples, respectively. The actual segregation processes of the iron ore particles obtained using a high-speed dynamic camera validated the separation results. This work aims to provide laboratory-scale experimental results for the discharging intensification of waste gangue from raw fine-sized iron ores using an efficient dry-based separation technology.