Mineralogical Characteristics of Baima Vanadium Titanomagnetite during Magnetic Separation Upgrading

Abstract

The Baima vanadium titanomagnetite deposit, located in the Panzhihua-Xichang (Panxi) metallogenic belt in China, is one of the super-large deposits in the region. The titanomagnetite upgrading process involves grinding the raw ore followed by magnetic separation. To determine the processing characteristics of the ore and assess the upgrading process, this study employs various methods and techniques, including the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), chemical element analysis, the electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), and the advanced mineral identification and characterization system (AMICS). The results show that the Fe grades in the upgraded raw ore, upgraded concentrate, and upgraded tailings are 55.68%, 57.89%, and 15.62%, respectively. After upgrading, the titanomagnetite content increased from 77.41% to 82.10%, and the Fe distribution in titanomagnetite also increased from 91.05% to 93.14%. In the upgraded raw ore, titanomagnetite particles followed a normal distribution, with 50.44% in the 38–74 μm range. In the upgraded concentrate, titanomagnetite was concentrated in the 19–38 μm range. Based on EPMA data, the theoretical Fe grade in titanomagnetite was calculated to be 65.08%, indicating the potential for further improvement through the upgrading process. This study elucidates the mineralogical characteristics during the vanadium titanomagnetite upgrading, providing a theoretical basis to further enhance the Fe recovery rate.