Some basic properties of granules from ore blends consisting of ultrafine magnetite and hematite ores

Some basic properties of granules,including the granule size distribution,packed-bed permeability,and chemical composition of the adhering layer,were investigated in this study for four iron ore blends consisting of 5wt%,25wt%,and 45wt%ultrafine magnetite and 25wt%ultrafine hematite concentrates.The effects of varying the sinter basicity(CaO/SiO2 mass ratio=1.4 to 2.2)and adding ultrafine concentrates on the variation of the adhering-layer composition and granule microstructure were studied.Moreover,the effect of adhering-layer compositional changes on sintering reactions was discussed in combination with pot sintering results of ore blends.Increasing sinter basicity led to an increase in the basicities of both the adhering layer and the fine part of the sinter mix,which were higher than the overall sinter basicity.When the sinter chemistry was fixed and fine Si-bearing materials(e.g.,quartz sand)were used,increasing the amount of ultrafine ores in the ore blends tended to reduce the adhering-layer basicity and increase the SiO2 content in both the adhering layer and the fine part of the sinter mix,which will induce the formation of low-strength bonding phases and the deterioration of sinter strength.The adhering-layer composition in granules can be estimated in advance from the compositions of the-1 mm fractions of the raw materials.

Major and Trace Elements of Magnetite from the Qimantag Metallogenic Belt: Insights into Evolution of Ore–forming Fluids

Magnetite, as a genetic indicator of ores, has been studied in various deposits in the world. In this paper, we present textural and compositional data of magnetite from the Qimantag metallogenic belt of the Kunlun Orogenic Belt in China, to provide a better understanding of the formation mechanism and genesis of the metallogenic belt and to shed light on analytical protocols for the in situ chemical analysis of magnetite. Magnetite samples from various occurrences, including the ore-related granitoid pluton, mineralised endoskarn and vein-type iron ores hosted in marine carbonate intruded by the pluton, were examined using scanning electron microscopy and analysed for major and trace elements using electron microprobe and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The field and microscope observation reveals that early-stage magnetite from the Hutouya and Kendekeke deposits occurs as massive or banded assemblages, whereas late- stage magnetite is disseminated or scattered in the ores. Early-stage magnetite contains high contents of Ti, V, Ga, AI and low in Mg and Mn. In contrast, late-stage magnetite is high in Mg, Mn and low in Ti, V, Ga, AI. Most magnetite grains from the Qimantag metallogenic belt deposits except the Kendekeke deposit plot in the ＂ Skarn ＂ field in the Ca＋AI＋Mn vs Ti＋V diagram, far from typical magmatic Fe deposits such as the Damiao and Panzhihua deposits. According to the （MgO＋MnO）- TiO^-AI203 diagram, magnetite grains from the Kaerqueka and Galingge deposits and the No.7 ore body of the Hutouya deposit show typical characteristics of skarn magnetite, whereas magnetite grains from the Kendekeke deposit and the No.2 ore body of the Hutouya deposit show continuous elemental variation from magmatic type to skarn type. This compositional contrast indicates that chemical composition of magnetite is largely controlled by the compositions of magmatic fluids and host rocks of the ores that have reacted with the fluids. Moreover, a combination of petrography and magnetite geochemistry indicates that the formation of those ore deposits in the Qimantag metallogenic belt involved a magmatic-hydrothermal process.

Effect of magnetic pulse pretreatment on grindability of a magnetite ore and its implication on magnetic separation

The pulsed power is a potential means for energy saving and presents an alternative to the conventional mechanical communication for minerals.The effect of magnetic pulse treatment on grindability of a magnetite ore was investigated by grindability tests.The results of the investigation show that the pulsed treatment has little effect on the particle size distribution of the magnetite ore.Significant micro-cracks or fractures are not found by SEM analysis in magnetic pulse treated sample.Magnetic separation of magnetic pulse treated and untreated magnetite ore indicates that iron recovery increases from 81.3% in the untreated sample to 87.7% in the magnetic pulse treated sample,and the corresponding iron grade increases from 42.1% to 44.4%.The results demonstrate that the magnetic pulse treatment does not significantly weaken the mineral grain boundaries or facilitate the liberation of minerals,but is beneficial to magnetic separation.

Magnetite Quartzite-Type Iron Ores – China's Most Important Current Iron Ore Source

China is abundant in iron-ore resources, with proven ore reserves of 576.62×10^8 t and proven reserves of 210×10^8 t, containing an average iron content of 33%. However, the rich iron-ore reserves of 10.85×10^8 t only account for 1.9% of all proven reserves. China＇s iron-ore resources are characterized by many lean ores and a few rich ones.

Mineralogical properties and co-sintering characteristics of fluxed iron ore with magnetite concentrates

To investigate the feasibility of co-sintering of fluxed iron ore with magnetite concentrates, the mineralogical properties of a novel fluxed iron ore were studied using particle size analysis, microscopic morphology characterization, and X-ray diffraction Rietveld analysis. Following that, the experiments for granulation performance and basic sintering characteristics were designed under seven different fluxed iron ore ratios, and the integrated ranking of different fluxed iron ore ratios was determined using gray relation analysis. Finally, the results of the industrial trails were combined with the feasibility analysis. Test and experimental results show that the fraction of the fluxed iron ore particles larger than 0.5 mm can account for more than 48%, and the particles have two morphologies: spherical-rough and flaky-smooth. Ca elements are found in the form of calcite (CaCO3) and dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2). The average particle size of granules and powder removal rate can be improved from 2.50 to 3.16 mm and 39.60% to 24.20%, respectively, with the increase in the fluxed iron ore ratio. Furthermore, the fluxed iron ore can improve assimilability and liquid fluidity of magnetite concentrates. In terms of overall granulation performance and sintering characteristics, the fluxed iron ore ratios are graded from best to worst as follows: 12%, 15%, 9%, 18%, 21%, 6% and 3%. The industrial trails show that when the fluxed iron ore ratio is increased, the beneficial effect of the superior sintering characteristics of the fluxed iron ore itself is ideally balanced with the negative effect of the lower amount of additional CaO at 12% ratio, and thus, it is feasible to bring the fluxed iron ore into production at a level of roughly 12%.

Metalizing reduction and magnetic separation of vanadium titano-magnetite based on hot briquetting

To achieve high efficiency utilization of Panzhihua vanadium titano-magnetite, a new process of metalizing reduction and magnetic separation based on hot briquetting is proposed, and factors that affect the cold strength of the hot-briquetting products and the efficiency of reduction and magnetic separation are successively investigated through laboratory experiments. The relevant mechanisms are elucidated on the basis of microstructural observations. Experimental results show that the optimal process parameters for hot briquetting include a hot briquetting temperature of 475°C, a carbon ratio of 1.2, ore and coal particle sizes of less than 74 μm. Additionally, with respect to metalizing reduction and magnetic separation, the rational parameters include a magnetic field intensity of 50 mT, a reduction temperature of 1350°C, a reduction time of 60 min, and a carbon ratio of 1.2. Under these above conditions, the crushing strength of the hot-briquetting agglomerates is 1480 N, and the recovery ratios of iron, vanadium, and titanium are as high as 91.19%, 61.82%, and 85.31%, respectively. The new process of metalizing reduction and magnetic separation based on hot briquetting demonstrates the evident technological advantages of high efficiency separation of iron from other valuable elements in the vanadium titano-magnetite.

Sintering behaviors and consolidation mechanism of high-chromium vanadium and titanium magnetite fines

To achieve high efficiency utilization of high-chromium vanadium-titanium magnetite （V-Ti-Cr） fines, an investigation of V Ti42r fines was conducted using a sinter pot. The chemical composition, particle parameters, and granulation of V-Ti-Cr mixtures were analyzed, and the effects of sintering parameters on the sintering behaviors were investigated. The results indicated that the optimum quicklime dosage, mixture moisture, wetting time, and granulation time for V-Ti-Cr fines are 5wt%, 7.5wt%, 10 min, and 5-8 min, respectively. Meanwhile, the vertical sintering speed, yield, tumbler strength, and productivity gains were shown to be 21.28 mm/min, 60.50wt% , 58.26wt%, and 1.36 t·m^-2·h^-1, respectively. Furthermore, the consolidation mechanism of V-Ti-Cr fines was clarified, revealing that the consolidation of a V-Ti-Cr sinter requires an approximately 14vo1% calcium ferrite liquid-state, an approximately 15vo1% silicate liq- uid-state, a solid-state reaction, and the recrystallization of magnetite. Compared to an ordinary sinter, calcium ferrite content in a V-Ti-Cr sinter is lower, while the perovskite content is higher, possibly resulting in unsatisfactory sinter outcomes.

Optimized use of MgO flux in the agglomeration of high-chromium vanadium–titanium magnetite

The optimized use of MgO flux in the agglomeration of high-chromium vanadium-titanium magnetite was investigated system- atically through sinter and pellet experiments. MgO was added in the form of magnesite. When the content of MgO in the sinter was in- creased from 1.95wt% to 2.63wt%, the low-temperature reduction degradation index increased from 80.57% to 82.71%. When the content of MgO in the pellet was increased from 1.14wt% to 2.40wt%, the reduction swelling index decreased from 15.2% to 8.6%; however, the com- pressive strength of the oxidized pellet decreased dramatically and it was 1985 N with an MgO content of 1.14wt%. This compressive strength does not satisfy the requirements for blast-furnace production. When all of the aforementioned results were taken into account, the sinter with a high MgO content （2.63wt%） matching the pellet with a low MgO content （less than 1.14wt%） was the rational burden structure for smelting high-chromium vanadium-titanium magnetite in blast furnaces.

PREPARATION OF IRON CARBIDE FROM MAGNETITE PELLETS BY CO-H_2 MIXTURES REDUCTION

A method of preparing iron carbide by reducing magnetite pellets with H2-CO mixtures is presented. The results show that an over 90 percent conversion ratio of iron carbide can be reached at 973 K and 1073 K under the suitable atmosphere. The reaction process to prepare iron carbide from magnetite pellets can be divided into two stages: reduction of magnetite pellets and carburization of reduction products. The carbon deposition has a great influence on the formation of iron carbide. In order to get a high conversion ratio of iron carbide, the relative weight loss value (m) should be controlled between 0.5 to 0.8.

Reduction mechanism of high-chromium vanadium–titanium magnetite pellets by H_2–CO–CO_2 gas mixtures

The reduction of high-chromium vanadium–titanium magnetite as a typical titanomagnetite containing 0.95wt% V2O5 and 0.61wt% Cr2O3 by H2–CO–CO2 gas mixtures was investigated from 1223 to 1373 K. Both the reduction degree and reduction rate increase with increasing temperature and increasing hydrogen content. At a temperature of 1373 K, an H2/CO ratio of 5/2 by volume, and a reduction time of 40 min, the degree of reduction reaches 95%. The phase transformation during reduction is hypothesized to proceed as follows： Fe2O3 → Fe3O4 → FeO → Fe; Fe9 TiO 15 ＋ Fe2Ti3O9 → Fe2.75Ti0.25O4 → FeT iO 3 → TiO 2;（Cr0.15V0.85）2O3 → Fe2VO4; and Cr1.3Fe0.7O3 → FeC r2O4. The reduction is controlled by the mixed internal diffusion and interfacial reaction at the initial stage; however, the interfacial reaction is dominant. As the reduction proceeds, the internal diffusion becomes the controlling step.

Influence of Coke Content on Sintering Process of Chromium-containing Vanadium-titanium Magnetite

The sintering of chromium-containing vanadium-titanium magnetite using different coke contents was studied through the sintering pot tests, X-ray diffraction analysis and mineralogical phase analysis. Results showed that, as the coke content increased from 3.2% to 4.4%, the liquid phase and combustion zone thickness increased while the vertical sintering rate and ratio of sintered product decreased. In addition, the combustion ratio of exhaust gas also increased with increasing the coke content, indicating that combustion zone temperature also increased, and the excessive the coke content in the sintering process of vanadiumtitanium magnetite is harmful. As the coke content increased, the magnetite, silicates, and perovskite contents of the sintered ore increased while the contents of hematite and calcium ferrite of sintered ore decreased; drum strength decreased, and reduction degradation properties increased while reduction ability decreased. We found that the appropriate coke content for the sintering process is 3.6 wt%.

Growth behavior of the magnetite phase in the reduction of hematite via a fluidized bed

To understand the formation and growth mechanism of the magnetite phase during the fluidized reduction of hematite, a high-purity hematite ore was isothermally reduced using a 20vol% CO 80vol% CO2 gas mixture in a micro-fluidized bed to examine the process of the selective conversion of hematite to magnetite. The micro-structural characteristics of the magnetite phase were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) method, and the thickness of the magnetite layer was measured and evaluated using statistical analysis. The experimental results showed that the fresh magnetite nuclei were dense needles of different lengths, and the original hematite grains became porous after complete reduction to the magnetite phase. The thickness of the mag- netite layer increased with an increase in reduction temperature and reduction time. The growth kinetics of the magnetite layer was investi- gated, and the value of the activation energy E was estimated to be 28.33 kJ/mol.

Microwave assisted grinding of ilmenite ore

The influence of microwave heating on the grinding of Panzhihua ilmenite ore was investigated. Factors that influence the processing are： the microwave exposure time, power density and sample mass. 40 g sample was microwave heated for 30 s with 1 kW of microwave power and followed by water quenching. SEM analysis indicated that intergranular fractures occurred between ores and gangues other than transgranular fractures after microwave treatment, which would liberate minerals from each other effectively. The subsequently magnetic separation trials provided evidence that the recovery rate increased from 44% for raw ore to 72% by microwave treatment.

Application of a water cooling treatment and its effect on coal-based reduction of high-chromium vanadium and titanium iron ore

A water cooling treatment was applied in the coal-based reduction of high-chromium vanadium and titanium （V-Ti-Cr） iron ore from the Hongge region of Panzhihua, China. Its effects on the metallization ratio （η）, S removal ratio （Rs）, and P removal ratio （Rp） were studied and analyzed on the basis of chemical composition determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The metallic iron particle size and the element distribution of Fe, V, Cr, and Ti in a reduced briquette after water cooling treatment at 1350℃ were determined and observed via scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the water cooling treatment improved the η, Rs, and Rp in the coal-based reduction of V-Ti-Cr iron ore compared to those obtained with a furnace cooling treatment. Meanwhile, the particle size of metallic iron obtained via the water cooling treatment was smaller than that of metallic iron obtained via the furnace cooling treatment; however, the particle size reached 70 μm at 1350℃, which is substantially larger than the minimum particle size required （20 μm） for magnetic separation. Therefore, the water cooling treatment described in this work is a good method for improving the quality of metallic iron in coal-based reduction and it could be applied in the coal-based reduction of V-Ti-Cr iron ore followed by magnetic separation.

Process Mineralogy of Iranian High Sulfur Iron Ore

Processing of Iranian high sulfur iron ore is problematic in minerals industry. The iron ores were studied by the means of polarizing microscopy, chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction. The study shows that the iron ores have high grade of iron, and complex structures. XRD showed that the iron ore consists of metallic minerals such as magnetite with a small amount of hematite and limonite and non-metallic minerals as serpentine, chlorite, and talc. The average particle size of magnetite crystals is 0.182 mm. The ore contains 1.62% sulfur as harmful impurity in form of pyrite mineral. Due to the isomorphism of magnesium and iron, magnetite mono crystal grade is lower than 68%, and difficult to be physically upgraded to a higher-grade iron concentrate using the available mineral processing technologies.

Magnetic separation studies for a low grade siliceous iron ore sample

Investigations were carried out, on a low grade siliceous iron ore sample by magnetic separation, to establish its amenability for physical beneficiation. Mineralogical studies revealed that the sample consists of magnetite, hematite and goethite as major opaque oxide minerals where as silicates as well as carbonates form the gangue minerals in the sample. Processes involving combination of classification, dry magnetic separation and wet magnetic separation were carried out to upgrade the low grade siliceous iron ore sample to make it suitable as a marketable product. The sample was first ground and each closed size sieve fractions were subjected to dry magnetic separation and it was observed that limited upgradation is possible. The ground sample was subjected to different finer sizes and separated by wet low intensity magnetic separator. It was possible to obtain a magnetic concentrate of 67% Fe by recovering 90% of iron values at below 200 lm size.

A Study of Rock Magnetism of High-Grade Hematite Ores

Rock magnetism is useful in various applications. Hematite is one of the two most important carriers of magnetism in the natural world and its magnetic features were mostly studied through laboratory experiments using synthetic hematite samples. A gap exists between the magnetic behaviors of hematite contained in the natural rocks and ores and those of synthetic hematite samples. This paper presents the results of a rock magnetism study on the natural hematite ores from the Whaleback mine in the Hamersley Province in the northwest of Western Australia. It was found that high-grade hematite ores carry a much higher remanent magnetization than induced magnetization. Hematite ores with less than 0.1% magnetite appear to have an exponential correlation between the bulk susceptibility and hematite content in weight percentage, different from the commonly accepted linear relationship between the bulk susceptibility and hematite content obtained from synthetic hematite samples. The new knowledge gained from this study contributes to a better understanding of magnetic behaviors of hematite, particularly natural hematite, and hence applications to other relevant disciplines.

Raman Spectroscopic Core Scanning for Iron Ore Characterisation

Automated core scanning technologies for mineralogical characterisation of diamond core, drill chips pulps is now an established technique, particularly in the Australian iron ore industry, for mineral analysis in exploration and mining. Application of reflectance spectroscopy over the 400–2500 nm, visible to near-infrared wavelength range, has been used to characterise the iron ore oxide mineralogy of bedded iron deposit (BID) derived iron ores in India (Thangavelu et al., 2011) and Brazil (da Costa et al., 2009), and used to define the ore and gangue (e.g., clay) mineralogy in ironstone or channel iron deposits (CID) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (e.g., Haest et al., 2012).

Destruction and removal efficiency of PICs by various iron ores during sintering-exploratory testing

Worldwide,iron ore sintering is the largest industrial single source of dioxin emissions^(1-3).Conversely, some ores may help in reducing emissions,because of their aptitude of(a) adsorbing and(b) oxidising or decomposing TOC and dioxins^(4,5).Such dioxin abatement abilities were tested for five types of ores,representing major ore origins(Australia,Brazil,and South Africa ),minerals(magnetite,haematite,goethite,pisolite ),and properties,e.g.porosity,and Loss on Ignition(LOI) values.In total,11 exploratory experimental runs were conducted on iron ores,to test the oxidation in air of four different organic trace test substances:acetone, chloroform,n-hexane,and toluene contained in a test gas were led simultaneously over the ore over a preestablished temperature program.Each test comprehends a first part with a programmed temperature rise,a brief soaking period at the temperature maximum(>400℃),and a ballistic cooling part.The concentration of the four organics is continuously monitored by Mass Spectrometry(MS) operating in a full-scan mode(m/e < 100). Exploratory experiments allowed differentiating the ores tested according to the Destruction & Removal Efficiency(DRE) attained.To check the results the products of oxidation in the effluent were sampled on Tenax and identified.Also,the dioxin load remaining on several test residues was examined and found to be quite limited (pg I-TEQ/g).

Oxidation Kinetics,Structural Changes and Element Migration during Oxidation Process of Vanadium-titanium Magnetite Ore

The oxidation kinetics, structural changes, and elements migration during the oxidation process of the va- nadium-titanium magnetite （VTM） ore were analyzed. Kinetics analysis indicated that the oxidation process was con- trolled by diffusion control and could be divided into interface diffusion and lattice diffusion with apparent activation energy of 99.69 kJ/mol and 144.08 kJ/mol in the range of 800--1000℃, respectively. The surface structure changed with the oxidization temperature as follows： dense surface→nano sized sheets→submicron particles→molten particles. The compact structure changed into porous one because of the elements migration and enrichment. Both Fe and Ti elements migrated in the opposite direction during the oxidation process. The V etement in the raw ore stably existed in the form of V^5＋ state, some vanadium migrated and occupied the tetrahedral sites of the hematite during the oxidation process.