High Gradient Magnetic Separation Research Articles

Enhancing Recovery of Ultra-Fine Magnetite from Low-Iron-Grade Cyanidation Tailings by Optimizing Flow Field Parameters of Low-Intensity Magnetic Separation (LIMS)

The characteristics of iron minerals in cyanidation tailings with a low iron grade were determined via chemical composition analysis, iron phase analysis, and mineral liberation analysis (MLA). The results showed that the cyanidation tailings contained 15.68% iron, mainly occurring in the form of magnetite (19.66%) and limonite (79.91%), in which 16.52% magnetite and 65.90% limonite particles were fully liberated. Most ultra-fine magnetite grains were adjacent and wrapped with limonite to form complex intergrowths, which resulted in low-efficiency magnetite recovery in low-intensity magnetic separation (LIMS) and adversely affected the downstream high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) process. Thus, in this work, the optimization of the flow field was proposed to enhance the separation of ultra-fine magnetite from the cyanidation tailings using pilot-scale LIMS separation, and the controllable parameters (including feed flow, separation gap, drum rotating speed, and solid weight) affecting ultra-fine magnetite capture were investigated. Under optimized conditions, a high-grade magnetite concentrate assaying 63.31% Fe with 86.46% magnetite recovery was produced, which, respectively, increased by 0.76% and 15.22%, compared with those obtained from industrial production. In addition, from the flow dynamics simulation, it was found that the magnetite particles in the −6 µm ultra-fine fraction were lost much more easily than those of coarser fractions due to the relatively enhanced hydrodynamic drag force acting on the particles compared with the magnetic force. However, this loss would be effectively reduced with the regulation and control of the flow field. The iron recoveries in the −16~+6 µm and −6 µm fractions of magnetite concentrate increased by 3.66% and 4.42%, respectively, under optimized hydrodynamic conditions. This research outcome provides a valuable reference for the economic and effective utilization of iron resources from such solid wastes.

Comparative investigation on capture characteristics of chalcopyrite and hematite in PHGMS process

Pulsating high-gradient magnetic separation (PHGMS) is a promising method of separating chalcopyrite from other minerals with similar floatability. However, the capture characteristics of chalcopyrite in PHGMS process remains poorly understood. In this study, the difference in the capture capacity of chalcopyrite and hematite, a typical weak magnetic mineral, was theoretically compared. The effects of the key operating parameters, i.e., magnetic induction, slurry flow rate, and magnetic wire diameter, on the capture difference of chalcopyrite and hematite were investigated through experimental verification. The comparison results showed that chalcopyrite shared similar capture trend with hematite. The capture mass weight of the matrix decreased with an increase in the pulsating frequency, slurry flow rate, and magnetic wire diameter, but it increased with improved magnetic induction. However, chalcopyrite exhibited an obviously smaller capture mass weight due to its lower susceptibility, which required a higher magnetic induction, slower flow rate, lower pulsating frequency and smaller matrix diameter for high efficient recovery of chalcopyrite. This study provides a reference for the PHGMS of separating chalcopyrite from typically applied weakly magnetic minerals by PHGMS process.

Coupling effect between magnetic wires and its influence on high gradient magnetic separation performance

High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is effective for the separation of weakly magnetic minerals, and this method is achieved through the use of matrix, which is made of huge numbers of rod wires. So that the coupling effect of magnetic field and flow field between wires has a marked effect on the HGMS performance. In the investigation, the coupling effect between magnetic wires and its influence on high gradient magnetic separation performance were theoretically described and simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics. It is found that the magnetic field round a wire would be affected by the neighboring wires, and then a coupling effect of magnetic field between wires was produced, increasing the magnetic induction intensity on the upstream and downstream of wire surface. And the coupling effect of flow field could increase the slurry velocity at the regions of the wire surface with azimuth angles of 0° and 90°, which is beneficial for the selective capture of wire. These simulated results were basically validated with the experimental separation, using an innovative Magnetic Capture Analysis Method. It is found that the wire spacing has significant effect on the coupling effect of magnetic wires, and a critical spacing for wires could achieve an excellent coupling effect, which is beneficial for the improvement of HGMS performance. This investigation contributes to improve HGMS performance in concentrating fine weakly magnetic ores.

Increase in Recovery Efficiency of Iron-Containing Components from Ash and Slag Material (Coal Combustion Waste) by Magnetic Separation

This article presents the results of research aimed at optimizing the process of recovery of valuable components from ash and slag waste from thermal power plants. In this work, both experimental and theoretical studies were carried out to substantiate the use of magnetic separation methods for ash and slag waste processing. Ash and slag wastes were chosen as an object of research due to the presence of valuable components such as iron, aluminum, etc., in them. The research results showed that the method of magnetic separation, including high-gradient magnetic separation, can be effectively used in ash and slag waste processing. As a result, the topology of a magnetic beneficiation technological scheme has been proposed to obtain high-value-added products such as high-magnetic iron minerals, low-magnetic iron minerals, and aluminosilicate microspheres. By using magnetic separation in a weak magnetic field, magnetic microspheres containing high-magnetic iron minerals associated with intermetallics, ranging in size from 20 to 80 µm, were recovered. In the second stage of magnetic separation (high-gradient magnetic separation), an iron ore product with an iron content of 50% with a recovery of 92.07% could be obtained. By using scanning electron microscopy, it was found that the main part of microspheres, which contain low-magnetic iron minerals and aluminosilicates, with sizes from 2 to 15 microns, was recovered in the magnetic fraction. This paper proposes a new approach to the enrichment of ash and slag materials using magnetic separation, which will increase the efficiency of their processing and make the process environmentally sustainable.

Enhancing the separation of refractory weakly magnetic minerals with magnetic fluid in high gradient magnetic separation: Conversion of competing capture to mechanical entrainment

Due to serious competing capture of magnetic gangue minerals in high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS), combined separation processes which commonly have defects of long flowsheets and high energy consumption are applied to processing refractory weakly magnetic ores. High gradient magnetic separation coupling with magnetic fluid (HGMSCMF) is proved effective in eliminating competing capture and presents great potential in recovering refractory magnetic minerals, but the enhancing mechanism and particle capture relations among magnetic valuable minerals, magnetic gangue minerals and nonmagnetic minerals still remains unclear. In this study, particle capture and separation behaviors of minerals with different magnetic characteristics in HGMS and HGMSCMF were comprehensively investigated through pure and artificial mixed ore experiments using ilmenite, augite and quartz. Captured mass of augite was quite low and could hardly increase with increasing applied induction while that of ilmenite maintained a high level and increased with increase of applied induction even under high MnCl2 concentration. Results of artificial mixed ore experiments and numerical simulation of particle capture presented that separation characteristics of ilmenite-augite mixed ore gradually approached to that of ilmenite-quartz mixed one, indicating the conversion of competing capture to mechanical entrainment for high selectivity in HGMSCMF.

Performance evaluation of PHGMS technology for superfine chalcopyrite-molybdenite separation

Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and molybdenite (MoS2) as typical sulfide minerals are very easy for co-flotation in practice, but their mutual separation consumes a large quantity of flotation reagents, particularly for superfinely associated chalcopyrite and molybdenite as encountered in most porphyry copper deposits. Pulsating high gradient magnetic separation (PHGMS) was effectively applied for pre-concentration of relatively coarse chalcopyrite ore, therefore in this work, its feasibility for separation of superfine chalcopyrite from molybdenite was firstly attempted, with the separation performance under key operating parameters elucidated via a SLon-100 cyclic PHGMS separator in separating a primary superfine chalcopyrite-molybdenite co-flotation concentrate, which assays 8.12 % Cu and 20.00 % Mo, with − 23 μm superfine fraction weighting 79.14 %. The separator achieved a high-selective separation under optimized conditions, producing a copper concentrate of 19.12 % Cu and 6.60 % Mo at 70.90 % Cu recovery, with the Cu content and Mo recovery in the molybdenum concentrate reduced to 3.38 % and reaching 90.88 %, respectively. It was found that low feed weight and velocity, fine matrix, high magnetic induction, and a gentle pulsation were required for producing the effective separation; and the chalcopyrite above 11.4 μm was sufficiently recovered into the copper concentrate, while the high-sufficient recovery for those below 11.4 μm remains a challenge to be overcome, due to its extremely weak magnetic force subjected. This detailed investigation provided a requisite understanding for industrializing the PHGMS technology for fine chalcopyrite-molybdenite separation.

Enhancing magnetism and magnetic separation of ultrafine chalcopyrite from talc through surface oxidation treatment

Magnetic separation has been proposed to greenly separate chalcopyrite and talc several decades ago, due to their extremely similar floatability of minerals. However, this approach was not achieved initially due to the inadequately magnetic induction of traditional magnetic separation, and fine particle size of chalcopyrite. Currently, the development of highly magnetic induction technology provides strong feasibility for this separation. In this work, we employed pulsating high-gradient magnetic separation (PHGMS) with highly magnetic induction (1.8T) to separate chalcopyrite and talc, and found that the PHGMS achieves a good separation of chalcopyrite from talc. But the chalcopyrite recovery decreased with the decrease of its particle size, and thus surface oxidation treatment was attempted to increase the magnetism and magnetic capture of ultrafine chalcopyrite. As a result, an increment of approximately 10 % was observed in the recovery of ultrafine chalcopyrite post-oxidation. As verified by the superconducting quantum interference device measurements, the oxidized ultrafine chalcopyrite exhibited a significant increase in the saturation magnetisation intensity, remanent magnetisation and coercivity values. Such magnetism enhancement is a result of the formation of paramagnetic Fe(III)–O–OH structures on the oxidized chalcopyrite surface, in terms of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy investigations. Furthermore, the density functional theory revealed that the formation of Fe(III)–O–OH structures caused a substantial increase in the magnetic moments of iron ions in antiferromagnetic chalcopyrite. These findings may extend the application of magnetic separation, and facilitate the flotation of ultrafine chalcopyrite from other minerals, at significantly reduced reagents use, and productive and environmental costs.

Preparation of high-purity SiO2 by S-HGMS coupled with mixed-acid leaching: A case study on hematite tailings from Ansteel, China

Hematite tailings (HTs) are rich in silica and are used as replacements for fine aggregates in the preparation of construction materials. However, there is scope for a more effective utilization of the valuable elements present in HTs. In this paper, a process for preparing high-purity SiO2 using HTs procured from Ansteel (China) is proposed. HTs were treated using the superconducting high-gradient magnetic separation (S-HGMS) technology, where the silica as part of the nonmagnetic fraction was obtained in the form of a high-silica concentrate, which was then subjected to mixed-acid leaching to dissolve impurities to achieve refined purification. The optimum process conditions for S-HGMS were determined, and the response surface methodology was applied to optimize the process parameters of the mixed-acid leaching process. The process indicators of the mixed-acid leaching step included the leaching time, leaching temperature, and molar ratio of the mixed acids. The optimum process conditions for S-HGMS were as follows: the magnetic strength-to-velocity ratio in the weak magnetic separation stage was set to 0.034 T·s/m whereas it was maintained at 0.076 T·s/m in the strong magnetic separation stage; the pulp concentration was 40 g/L, the pulp velocity was 500 mL/min, and the dispersant concentration was 1 mg/g. Under these conditions, the high-silica pulp was processed. The corresponding SiO2 grade increased from 71.788 % to 95.260 %, and its recovery and yield reached 56.330 % and 42.450 %, respectively. The SiO2 content in the sample increased from 95.260 % to 99.961 %. Further, the mechanisms of the S-HGMS and mixed-acid leaching were revealed. The proposed process is environmentally friendly and operationally inexpensive. It can reduce the amount of HTs by 42.450 %, and the obtained high-purity silica product has high economic value and good industrialization prospects.

Recent advances in the marketing, impurity characterization and purification of quartz

Due to its stable physical and chemical properties and its abundance in nature, quartz is widely employed in industrial and high-tech applications. However, the presence of diverse types and states of impurities in quartz ores from different geological formations poses a challenge in the process of purifying high-purity quartz, leading to wastage of raw materials and escalated costs. This study presents the socio-economic applications of quartz, scrutinizes the formation and separation mechanisms of impurities in quartz ores from a mineralogical perspective, examines the obstacles faced in quartz purification, explains the current state of development, and provides a technical summary of quartz purification. The analysis reveals that lattice impurity elements and various types of inclusion impurities are the principal factors affecting the purity of quartz. Various green separation techniques are applied based on the composition of the quartz minerals and the state of the impurities. Standard practices may involve physical pre-treatment such as scrubbing, ultrasonic crushing, and electromagnetic pulse cracking, followed by rough cleaning through color separation, superconducting high gradient magnetic separation, and flotation, and chemical pre-treatment (high-temperature or microwave roasting with chloride doping, and ammonium sulfate thermal crushing combined with water quenching to remove gas-liquid inclusions from quartz minerals). Finally, finishing processes such as fluorine-free and catalytic hot-pressure acid leaching or microbiological purification treatment with filamentous or Aspergillus fungi are used to obtain high-purity silica sand with an anticipated purity of about 99.99%.

SPIONs Magnetophoresis and Separation via Permanent Magnets: Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have emerged as cutting-edge materials, garnering increasing attention in recent years within the fields of chemical and biomedical engineering. This increasing interest is primarily attributed to the distinctive chemical and physical properties of SPIONs. Progress in nanotechnology and particle synthesis methodologies has facilitated the fabrication of SPIONs with precise control over parameters such as composition, size, shape, stability, and magnetic response. Notably, these functionalized materials exhibit a remarkable surface-area-to-volume ratio, biocompatibility, and, most importantly, they can be effectively manipulated using external magnetic fields. Due to these exceptional properties, SPIONs have found widespread utility in the medical field for targeted drug delivery and cell separation, as well as in the chemical engineering field, particularly in wastewater treatment. Magnetic separation techniques driven by magnetophoresis have proven to be highly efficient, encompassing both high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) and low-gradient magnetic separation (LGMS). This review aims to provide an in-depth exploration of magnetic field gradient separation techniques, alongside a comprehensive discussion of the applications of SPIONs in the context of drug delivery, cell separation, and environmental remediation.

Effect of lime (CaOH+) on chalcopyrite-arsenopyrite separation in high gradient magnetic separation: Experiment and molecular simulation

During the flotation of chalcopyrite from arsenopyrite, the addition of lime (with CaOH+ as the active component) can affect the subsequent high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) performance. However, this issue has been overlooked in previous researches. The present study confirms this effect and elucidates its underlying mechanism. Findings demonstrate that CaOH+ could decrease the magnetic moment of Fe atoms in chalcopyrite, deteriorating its separation from arsenopyrite via HGMS method. For a high-arsenic copper ore assaying 0.63 % Cu and 0.78 % As with chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite as the dominant copper-bearing and arsenic-bearing minerals, the HGMS results has confirmed that increasing the lime dosage from 0 kg/t to 14 kg/t reduced the copper grade in the copper concentrate from 0.92 % to 0.61 % and decreased the copper recovery from 67.03 % to 53.95 %. However, the arsenic grade and recovery in the concentrate were improved from 0.35 % to 0.64 % and from 28.27 % to 42.19 %, respectively. The calculations using Density Functional Theory and Crystal-Field Theory revealed that the interaction between Fe ions in chalcopyrite and CaOH+ in lime leads to a considerable change in the single electron occupancy of the d orbitals, that is, it transitions from a high-spin state to a low-spin state; thus, the magnetic susceptibility of the chalcopyrite decreases, reducing the HGMS efficiency for separation of chalcopyrite from arsenopyrite. The findings of this study provide considerable theoretical insights and improved understanding for the effect of lime on the chalcopyrite-arsenopyrite separation efficiency in HGMS process.

Dynamic capture behavior of rotating matrix to paramagnetic particles in centrifugal HGMS process: Based on FEM

Centrifugal high gradient magnetic separation (CHGMS) was developed to produce a high-quality magnetic product from weakly magnetic materials. In this research, the dynamic behavior of particles in the CHGMS process and the magnetic capture of rotating wires to paramagnetic particles were analyzed through Finite Element Method (FEM). It was found that particles move spirally with slurry in the separation area of the separator, due to the stirring of magnetic wires, and the motion traces of paramagnetic particles are more tortuous and complicated than those of non-magnetic particles. The capture capacity of elliptical wire to paramagnetic particles is stronger than that of circular wire, but is weaker than that of square one. The distance from rotating wires to the center of matrix significantly influences the mass weight of paramagnetic particles captured onto the wires, and there is a clear interaction between wire layers during the capture process of rotating matrix.

High-gradient magnetic separation of colloidal uranium oxide particles from soil components in aqueous suspensions

The separation of uranium oxide (UO2) particles from soil-surrogate particles in aqueous suspensions was achieved using filtration enhanced by a magnetic field. Enhanced attraction of paramagnetic UO2 colloids to a ferromagnetic stainless-steel filter placed in a strong magnetic field arises because of the positive magnetic susceptibility of the particles and the high-gradient field generated near ferromagnetic fibers. Enhanced uptake of smaller particles over larger ones occurs through Brownian motion that promotes the collision of particles with the ferromagnetic fibers of the filter. Hence, this work focused on UO2 particles in the colloidal size range. Experiments used a water-cooled electromagnet and an array of permanent magnets. Chemical analysis showed that the magnetic field increased the capture efficiency of uranium particles from a range of 27–53% with the magnet off up to 98% with the magnet on after a single pass of the suspension through the filter. The recovery of the UO2 particles from the filter, however, was more difficult to achieve. Small amounts of UO2, together with significant amounts of background SiO2 particles, were removed from the filter during a first flush with the magnetic field on. A much larger recovery of UO2 was not observed until a second out-of-field flush was performed, which also released some SiO2. The degree to which particle separation was enhanced through the use of multi-stage filtration compared to single pass-through filtration was also examined. A design was suggested that could be used to optimize the separation efficiency for a continuous process.

Pulsation curves strengthen the high gradient magnetic separation process Ⅱ: Consideration of separation performance

The use of pulsating slurry has been found to be effective in overcoming matrix blockage and improving separation selectivity in high gradient magnetic separators (HGMS). The velocity of the pulsating slurry is regulated by a sinusoidal cycle function, which causes the downward velocity to be much greater than the upward velocity due to the superposition of the sinusoidal pulsation velocity and the feeding velocity. However, the unbalanced velocity configuration in the up-downward stroke limits separation efficiency. This paper investigates the use of asymmetrical pulsation curves in a lab-scale HGMS to balance the velocity configuration and consequently improve separation performance. Magnetic field strength, feed velocity, and pulsating frequency were varied in separate experiments to determine the effect of pulsation curves on separation performance. The asymmetrical pulsation curve with a faster upward stroke and slower downward stroke was found to achieve a TiO2 concentrate grade of 23.94 %, a recovery of 66.78 %, and a separation efficiency of 50.46 % for the separation of ilmenite. When the concentrate grade is slightly higher, this new curve shows an increase of 5.68 % in recovery and 5.05 % in separation efficiency compared to the conventional sinusoidal pulsation curve. This improvement is attributed to a simultaneous strengthening of the material loose-adsorption process by separately regulating the pulsating upward and downward strokes.

Effect of the number of magnetic matrices on particle capture in high gradient magnetic separation

A comprehensive understanding of the capture process involving matrices in high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is crucial for the design and improvement of matrix performance. However, few existing studies have paid attention to the influence of the number of magnetic matrices on the capture process. In this work, we numerically investigate this issue in both longitudinal and transversal HGMS systems, where multiple scenarios with different particle sizes, flow rates and matrix spacing are considered. Interestingly, we show that in most cases, increasing the number of magnetic matrices along the flow direction has little to no influence on the capture radius. It has a certain effect on improving the capture radius only in a few specific cases, such as when dealing with large particles at low flow rates with closely spaced matrices or when working with small particles at high flow rates with widely spaced matrices. These phenomena are related to the appearance of repulsive magnetic forces around matrices and the distribution characteristics of magnetic forces. The obtained results indicate that, in the design of the practical HGMS system, simply increasing the number of matrices along the flow direction may not be a reasonable or effective strategy for enhancing capture performance.

High-gradient magnetic separation mechanism for separation of chalcopyrite from molybdenite

Removing molybdenite from chalcopyrite by flotation has long been a challenge due to their similar floatability as sulfide minerals. However, the difference in the magnetic susceptibility of the two minerals may be employed to address this challenge. Recently, pulsating high-gradient magnetic separation (PHGMS) has been reported effective as an environmentally friendly and economical strategy for separating chalcopyrite from molybdenite, but the mechanism of their magnetic differences is unclear. The current investigation employed crystal field theory and density functional theory calculations to theoretically elucidate the magnetic properties of these two minerals, and their difference was further demonstrated by experimental investigations. Under optimized conditions in a SLon-100 cyclic PHGMS separator, a chalcopyrite concentrate assaying 31.47% Cu and 0.44% Mo at 81.93% Cu and 5.56% Mo recoveries was produced from a pure chalcopyrite-molybdenite mixture that initially contained 26.29% Cu and 5.42% Mo. After the separation process, the Cu grade decreased to 15.06%, whereas the Mo grade increased to 16.22% in the nonmagnetic product. These findings have potential implications for the separation of chalcopyrite from molybdenite using PHGMS.

Separation and preparation of level I standard lead concentrate from lead ore via S-HGMS technology: description of separation mechanism

ABSTRACT To eliminate the adverse effects of traditional lead ore flotation methods, such as high reagent cost, complex operation process, and a large amount of wastewater, a superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (S-HGMS) technology was proposed to prepare level I standard lead concentrate (IGC) from lead ore. Under optimal conditions including a magnetic flow ratio of 0.076 T·s/m, a pulp concentration of 1.5%, a slurry flow velocity of 500 mL/min, and a 90% mass fraction of minus 45 μm, the Pb grade of the IGC product increased from 45.36% to 68.79% with 55.43% of Pb recovery, while all Cu, Zn, As, Fe, MgO, and Al2O3 concentrations of IGC decreased. The obtained IGC product meets the standard of level I in YS/T319–2013. The characterization results showed that lead ore comprised galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite. After S-HGMS, galena was effectively concentrated in the IGC product, while sphalerite and chalcopyrite were separated into the tailings. The magnetic field intensity and mineral magnetization characteristics were vital factors affecting the Pb grade and recovery of the IGC product. The S-HGMS technology efficiently achieved the preparation of the IGC product from lead ore, without using flotation agents and generating wastewater, and provides a valuable guideline for separating Cu – Pb, Zn – Pb, and Cu – Zn – Pb minerals.

Various rare earth particles magnetic separation using magnetic fluid and paramagnetic liquid

Rare earth elements are usually separated by solvent extraction after several separation stages. However, the separation of particles would be possible if fine rare earth and oxide particles from a mixture of rare earth materials would exhibit a relatively high degree of liberation. Here, the novel method for separating a mixture of two kinds of artificial rare earth particles was developed using a high-gradient magnetic separator. Rare earth metals and oxides have different magnetic susceptibility, and some have high magnetic susceptibility as paramagnetic materials. In conventional magnetic separation, all paramagnetic particles are captured as magnetics. However, a mixture of rare earth particles can also be separated by increasing liquid magnetization with water-based magnetic fluid and paramagnetic liquid having higher magnetization than water. As a result, the adjacent atomic number of rare earth particles can be separated. The magnetic separation efficiencies of neighboring rare earth were compared with the conventional solvent extraction results, and it was found that magnetic separation has a relatively high efficiency for separating some rare earth elements.

Combinatorial optimization of rotating matrix in centrifugal high gradient magnetic separation

Centrifugal high gradient magnetic separation (CHGMS) produces higher selectivity than conventional HGMS in concentrating weakly magnetic minerals owing to the use of rotating matrix, so its separation performance is closely related to the configuration of the matrix. In this work, the magnetic capture characteristics of the rotating matrices with different configurations to magnetic particles were described using a simulation model, and a combinative rotating matrix was proposed on the basis of the simulation results. The CHGMS performances of the combinative and conventional rotating matrices were then comparatively investigated for the separation of a fine ilmenite ore. From the simulation results, the increase in the spacing between magnetic wires and wire diameter decreases the mass weight of magnetic particles captured onto the internal wires of rotating matrix, improving its capture selectivity; whereas, the increase in the layer spacing of magnetic wires increases their capture mass weight, enhancing the capture capability of the matrix. For comparison, the combinative matrix achieves significantly superior performance to that of the conventional one for separating fine ilmenite, which is consistent with the simulation results. This investigation provides an important reference for the optimization and development of rotating matrix in CHGMS technology.

Removal of Cationic and Anionic Heavy Metal Ions From Aqueous Phase by a HGMS and Magnetized Zeolite

A magnetic separation study was conducted employing magnetized zeolite and a high gradient magnetic separation system (HGMS) for removal of both cationic and anionic heavy metals. Magnetized zeolite Y was prepared with variable iron contents ranged from 1.2-22.8% based on surface concentration. The magnetized zeolite showed decreased adsorption capacity for cations while the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for anion increased and the adsorption capacity was proportional to the iron contents. The captured rate of dispersed adsorbents after use for removal of contaminants is a very important factor in water treatment processes. The magnetic separation system recovered more than 98% of magnetized zeolite at 3 T of magnetic field. Current result indicates the combination of magnetized zeolite and HGMS separation could be an efficient alternative for simultaneous removal of cationic and anionic heavy metal from water phase.