Experimental Study Of Southeast Asian Iron Ore Beneficiation Process

The domestic iron ore resources in China are far from meeting the needs of the development so enterprises in iron and steel industry have to depend on imported iron ores and should develop the potential resources overseas. Economic globalization is contributive to the development of our country and the global strategic for mineral resources.Southeast Asia is one of the mineral-rich regions in the world. For historical reasons, the geological survey and mineral exploitation still remain low level of development in this region. At present, those countries at this region would like to attract foreign capital and technology and China's iron and steel enterprises have taken the opportunities for exploitation of mineral resources.Kunming Iron & Steel (Group) Co. Ltd. (KISC) is the largest iron and steel industrial enterprises in Yunnan province of China. In order to develop the international business, KISC has put forward strategies to exploit iron ore resources in Southeast Asia. This paper studys iron ores from the Southeast Asia and will be proved to be helpful for the iron ore exploitation in that region.The iron ore investigated from Southeast Asia keeps magnetite in natural state with 36.91% iron and 1.42% sulfur, containing a small amount of hematite and limonite. The sulfur content in the iron ore, which is harmful, exceeds the acceptable limit. Ore sulfur in form of pyrite showing the granular shape, and pyrite and magnetite enwrapped each other.The results of the Optional test show that:strong magnetic iron ore is easy to be recovered, weak magnetic iron ore is difficult to be recovered. Due to the high sulfur content in weak magnetic ore, the flotation process is believed having too long technical flow, higher cost and lower recovery rate. Magnetic sorting magnetite is the most economical, simple and environment friendly beneficiation methods. Fine grinding can improve iron minerals monomer dissociation and by magnetic separation process, lower sulfur and improved ore grade will be achieved.The optimized magnetic field strength of 0.1T was determined by a series of experiments of magnetic separation process in low intensity magnetic state. Fine gringding is the key process for high grade iron ore and sulfur content decreases as grinding fineness increases. Using a section of grinding process, grinding fineness should reach above 90% minus 0.074mm. Higher grade iron ore in low intensity magnetic and lower the recovery rate were attained using the two phase grinding process.The results of the experiment show that the magnetic sorting technology is simple, stable, economical and reasonable. Under the condition of the 36.98% starting iron ore, iron concentrate ores have been produced with follow index by the continuous grinding and weak magnetic sorting process:concentrate iron 62.94%, concentrate ore yield rate 47.73%, recovery rate 88.44%. And iron concentrate ores have been produced by two phase grinding and weak magnetic sorting process for 37.25% iron original ores with following index:concentrate iron 64.17%, concentrate ore yield rate45.74% and recovery rate 78.70%.The technology studied in present paper has been in the status of designing and under construction. What have been done in the paper is contributive to practical use.