Patent Application
20240024894
This invention is related to the magnetic separation processes of iron ore. More specifically, this invention is related to an iron ore magnetic separation process that uses a vertically pulsating high-gradient magnetic separator (VPHGMS) in order to reduce water consumption for this purpose.
As known in the current state of the art, the process of magnetic separation of iron ore occurs in equipment called magnetic separators. It is based on the difference in the behavior of mineral particles when subjected to a magnetic field.
The material to be separated comprises a mixture of particles that can be divided into five categories concerning their susceptibility to magnetization: diamagnetic; paramagnetic; ferrimagnetic; antiferromagnetic; and ferromagnetic.
The diamagnetic particles are weakly magnetized and align in the opposite direction to the magnetic field in which they are inserted. In practice, the magnetism of these particles can be considered zero.
The paramagnetic particles, as well as the ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic ones, are slightly magnetized, and they align in the same direction as the magnetic field, for which magnetic separators can be used.
The ferromagnetic particles, on the other hand, are strongly magnetized and align in the same direction as the magnetic field. For example, in an iron ore slurry, hematite (constituent iron mineral) is antiferromagnetic, thus being susceptible to the magnetic field, and quartz (main gangue mineral, source of SiO2) is diamagnetic, thus being little susceptible to the field.
The conventional magnetic separator consists of a rotational ring, or carousel, which can be positioned vertically or horizontally. Specifically for a vertical separator, the ring contains matrices and steel parts positioned along its length, in which the mineral particles are trapped after being magnetized by a magnetic field created by induced magnets, thus magnetizing the particles of interest (ore) in the influence region of the magnetic field.
However, even after the matrices leave the influence region of the magnetic field, the ore remains attached to the matrices due to the magnetic hysteresis force. This creates a resistance to material release from the matrices, reducing mineral separation efficiency. It is well known to those skilled in the art that magnetic hysteresis occurs when a material is subjected to a magnetic field and becomes magnetized. Still, when removing this field, the material is not demagnetized completely or instantly.
In the state of the art, the magnetic material attached to the matrices due to magnetic hysteresis is detached by injecting water jets. As this process (use of water jets) is carried out throughout the separation process, water consumption is remarkably high and contributes significantly to the need for subsequent dewatering of the products obtained (magnetic concentrate and non-magnetic waste), resulting in high production costs and great environmental impact.
A series of state-of-the-art documents refer to magnetic separators of different configurations. According to Zeng and Dahe (2003), in their work entitled “ ”, the first vertically pulsating high-gradient magnetic separators (VPHGMS) were developed in 1988.
This equipment has a combined mechanism of magnetic field, pulsating fluid and gravity so that it continuously benefits thin, weakly magnetic materials. One of their benefits is a high mineral recovery rate.
Since then, efforts have been made to improve this equipment. Chinese document CN2306837Y shows improvements to a vertical magnetic separator, including a demagnetizer. The demagnetizer aims to avoid the agglomeration of particles in the matrices and reduce clogging. However, this demagnetizer is located after the ore washing step; that is, water is still required (particularly water jets) to separate the magnetic material attached to the matrices due to magnetic hysteresis.
It is also possible to identify some improvements to VPHGMS proposed in patent documents filed in Brazil, such as documents BR102016022548-5 and BR102015031762-0. Such documents propose different geometries for the magnetic matrices, leading to increased performance, increased quantity and variety of recovered magnetic particles, including particles of smaller granulometry and magnetic susceptibility. Although these proposed magnetic matrices provide some reduction in water consumption during the separation process, it is still not entirely avoided by such technology.
Document CN103785528B presents a rotary magnetic separator by a permanently magnetic drum, developed to improve the concentrated ore content and reduce waste. For this type of equipment, water is used to rinse the magnetic drum.
Similar equipment is proposed in document CN109847926, which proposes a dry magnetic separation method. Such technology aims to promote improvements to avoid contamination and increase the purity of the product. The equipment described works with air blowers perpendicular to the roller rotation axis. The operation of this equipment presents a series of differences in relation to a vertical high gradient magnetic separator, such as the presence of permanent magnets, field strength, lack of matrices and a different separation method.
Finally, document CN104069943A proposes a dry mineral separation technique. However, the method does not apply to a VPHGMS and does not use compressed air injection. Mineral separation occurs on conveyor belts that load and unload the material based on its magnetic properties.
It is clear from the documents presented that the current state of the art lacks a VPHGMS-type magnetic separator that does not use water to separate magnetic material attached to the matrices due to magnetic hysteresis. Thus, none of the said works developed a method for replacing the water washing system with a process that completely excludes the use of water in a VPHGMS to release magnetized particles still retained in the carousel due to magnetic hysteresis.
As detailed below, this invention aims to solve these problems in the state of the art described above practically and efficiently.
This invention aims to provide a system to be coupled to a vertically pulsating high-gradient magnetic separator (VPHGMS) to remove the magnetized particles adhered to the matrices due to magnetic hysteresis, providing better separation efficiency, reduction of water consumption in the plant as a whole and reduction of process costs for dewatering products in subsequent processes without affecting the capacity of existing equipment.
Aiming to achieve the objectives mentioned above, this invention provides a method and a system for removing iron ore particles adhered by magnetic hysteresis to a magnetic matrix of a vertical magnetic separator, with the vertical magnetic separator comprising: a separation ring comprising a magnetic matrix; an ore feed inlet; an ore accumulation vessel positioned in the lower portion of the magnetic matrix, comprising an outlet for material with low magnetic susceptibility; a magnetic field-generating device adapted to generate a magnetic field in the region of the accumulation vessel; at least one collection tray positioned internally to the magnetic matrix and adapted to collect material with greater magnetic susceptibility detached from the magnetic matrix; and a collecting container adapted to receive the material with greater magnetic susceptibility from at least one collecting tray,
The description below refers to the attached figures and their respective reference numbers.
Preliminarily, it is emphasized that the following description will start from a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not limited to that particular embodiment.
The system and method for removing iron ore particles adhered by magnetic hysteresis to a matrix of a vertical magnetic separator proposed in this document can modify the operation of a vertical magnetic separator (optionally a VPHGMS) so that it proceeds to carry out the removal of magnetized particles attached to the magnetic matrix without using water. Thus, the invention significantly reduces water consumption in this process and, consequently, the financial and environmental costs inherent to its use.
In this report, the vertical magnetic separator adopted for descriptive purposes is optionally a VPHGMS. Therefore, this type of vertical magnetic separator will be used for most of the following descriptions. However, it should be understood that whenever the term VPHGMS is used, all features of the invention may be applied to a vertical magnetic separator with different configurations. In other words, the application of the invention should not be limited to a VPHGMS separator but to any vertical magnetic separator.
Currently, VPHGMS magnetic separation equipment operates wet. It is well known that the ore slurry is poured into a container immersed in a magnetic field, magnetizing the most susceptible particles. The vertical carousel (separation ring), characteristic of this equipment, has a rotational movement that passes through the magnetic container when it is at its lowest point and traps (by magnetic forces) the particles in matrices constructed by steel filaments and positioned on the contour of the carousel. There is also a pulsation mechanism in the container that promotes the constant movement of the particles in the slurry to maximize their imprisonment in the matrices, mainly the finer ones. The less susceptible particles are not magnetized, as they separate from the others and become waste. As the carousel rotates and the matrices move out of the magnetic field's region of influence, the particles of interest (magnetized particles) remain attached to the steel filaments due to magnetic hysteresis. Near the top, a stream of water is applied to the magnetic matrices to separate these still-trapped particles.
In a broader sense, this invention provides a system for removing iron ore particles adhered by magnetic hysteresis to a magnetic matrix of a vertical magnetic separator, with the vertical magnetic separator comprising: a separation ring (10) comprising a magnetic matrix; an ore feed inlet (1); an ore accumulation vessel (2) positioned in the lower portion of the separation ring (10); a magnetic field-generating device adapted to generate a magnetic field in the region of the accumulation vessel (2); at least one collection tray (7, 8) positioned internally to the magnetic matrix and adapted to collect material with greater magnetic susceptibility detached from the magnetic matrix; and a collecting container (9) adapted to receive the material with greater magnetic susceptibility from at least one collecting tray (7, 8).
Notably, the system comprises: a demagnetizer (4) positioned at a higher position than the first collecting tray (7) of at least one collecting tray (7, 8); a mechanical cleaning device (5) of the magnetic matrix positioned after the demagnetizer (4); and at least one compressed air jet-generating device (6) positioned after the mechanical cleaning device (5) of the magnetic matrix.
It is worth noting that the positioning sequence of the system elements, as indicated above, obviously depends on the rotation direction of the separation ring (10). In the illustrated example, the separation ring (10) rotates counterclockwise. Thus, a particle adhered to this ring's magnetic matrix will first pass through the region impacted by the demagnetizer (4), then through the mechanical cleaning device (5), and finally through the compressed air jet-generating device (6).
It is important to note that this sequence of elements can be changed in particular configurations. In different configurations, more than one of these elements can be adopted and even used interchangeably.
Optionally, as shown in
Next, the operation of the invention will be explained. The ore, composed of particles with greater magnetic susceptibility and particles with low or zero magnetic susceptibility, is poured through the ore feed inlet 1 into an ore accumulation vessel (2). In that region, a magnetic field-generating device, adapted to generate a magnetic field in the region of the accumulation vessel (2), is positioned.
The ore particles with greater susceptibility will be magnetized and attached to the magnetic matrices of the separation ring (10). On the other hand, particles with low susceptibility will not be magnetized and will follow the flow to another process through an outlet (3) of material with low magnetic susceptibility.
As previously stated, the separation ring (10) moves counterclockwise and carries the magnetized particles adhered by magnetic beams to the magnetic matrices along its trajectory. However, even outside the region of influence of the magnetic field, some particles remain attached to the magnetic matrices by magnetic hysteresis alone.
To facilitate the detachment of these particles, a demagnetizer (4) is provided in a higher position than a first collecting tray (7) of at least one collecting tray (7, 8).
In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
The mechanical cleaning device (5) cleans the magnetic matrices by introducing flexible filaments inside them. Thus, the mechanical device remains fixed next to the fixed structure of the magnetic separator, and the filaments sweep all the magnetic matrices of the separation ring (10) due to the uninterrupted rotational movement of the separation ring (10) so that the ore is directed to the second collecting tray (8). Such ore, even after being subjected to demagnetization, is still agglomerated in the magnetic matrices.
Next, and above the second collecting tray (8), at least one compressed air jet-generating device (6) is provided.
At least one compressed air jet-generating device (6) is composed of a set of tubes that constantly apply compressed air to the magnetic matrices of the separation ring (10) in order to separate the ore particles (detach them from the magnetic matrices). These particles are more easily separated as they have been demagnetized. Thus, the compressed air can separate the iron ore from the matrix.
The operation of the device begins with the application of an alternating current on a pair of coils positioned on opposite sides of the separation ring (10) in the Helmholtz configuration, in a region above the pouring point of the material to be separated (above the ore accumulation vessel (2)).
The passage of alternating current through the coils generates an alternating magnetic field in the region between them, encompassing part of the separation ring (10). This alternating magnetic field demagnetizes the ore particles attached to the magnetic matrices of the separation ring (10) due to magnetic hysteresis. Next, the separation ring (10) passes through the mechanical cleaning device 5 of the magnetic matrix, dragging the agglomerated material. In a subsequent region, jets of compressed air are applied to the magnetic matrices to separate the particles that remain attached to the matrices without using water.
Thus, more particularly, the demagnetizer (4) can comprise two coils of enameled copper wire, each positioned on one side of the separation ring (10) of the magnetic separator, and adapted to produce an alternating magnetic field due to the alternating current passing through the coils.
Therefore, when using the system and method proposed by this invention, a region of alternating magnetic field will be created at a point in the trajectory of the separation ring (10) by means of a demagnetizer (4). This point is properly determined, located between the ore magnetization region and the compressed air injection point. This alternating magnetic field will demagnetize the particles attached to the magnetic matrices, facilitating the removal of the concerned material adhered to the magnetic matrices by magnetic hysteresis. After demagnetizing the particles, this system will perform a mechanical cleaning on the magnetic matrices using the mechanical cleaning device (5) and inject compressed air to separate the particles.
Therefore, when using the proposed system, there is a clear improvement in the efficiency of the mineral magnetic separation process, in addition to enabling the elimination of water consumption for the separation of ore adhered to the magnetic matrices of vertical magnetic separators, thus reducing financial and environmental impacts.
Numerous variations affecting the scope of protection of this application are allowed. Thus, it must reinforces pointed out that this invention is not limited to the particular configurations/embodiments described above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| BR102020023390-4 | Nov 2020 | BR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/BR2021/050485 | 11/8/2021 | WO |
