Dry Iron Ore Desliming via Pneumatic Classification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional iron ore concentration processes require significant water usage and generate large volumes of waste, particularly in the desliming stage, which affects processing efficiency and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A process incorporating dry grinding, dry desliming, and magnetic separation, with optional regrinding and wet high intensity magnetic separation, to produce a high-grade iron ore concentrate while minimizing water usage and waste disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wet desliming is used to extract ultrafines, then metal recovery is improved, but water consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the wet mechanical desliming system with a dry pneumatic classification system. Instead of using water to separate ultrafines from coarser particles, the invention uses air flow through pneumatic classifiers to achieve the same separation objective, thereby eliminating the need for large water volumes while maintaining metal recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state parameter from wet to dry processing. By transforming the desliming operation from a wet-based process to a dry pneumatic process, the system achieves ultrafine particle separation without requiring water, thus resolving the contradiction between metal recovery and water consumption.
2Reliability
If wet processing is used to release metals from ore, then metal recovery is improved, but waste generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes wet grinding and processing mechanisms with dry grinding and pneumatic classification. This replacement eliminates the generation of wet tailings and slimes that require disposal in dams, thereby reducing waste generation while maintaining effective metal release and recovery through dry means.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the water-based processing stage from the conventional workflow, taking out the wet grinding and wet desliming operations that generate waste. By extracting this harmful element and replacing it with dry pneumatic processes, the system achieves metal recovery without the associated waste generation problem.
3Quantity of substance
If dry grinding is used instead of wet grinding, then water consumption is reduced, but grinding efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wet grinding machinery with dry grinding equipment, eliminating water from the grinding process. This substitution maintains grinding efficiency by using alternative dry mechanical means to achieve particle size reduction, while simultaneously achieving the water consumption reduction objective.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the processing medium parameter from water-based to air-based or completely dry conditions. This parameter change allows the grinding process to operate without water, maintaining particle liberation and size reduction efficiency while achieving significant water consumption reduction.
4Quantity of substance
If pneumatic classification is used for dry desliming, then water usage is eliminated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic classifiers that serve multiple functions: they perform dry desliming, separate ultrafines from coarser particles, and can be integrated into existing grinding circuits. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated equipment, thereby managing device complexity while achieving water-free processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the desliming function with the grinding and classification functions into an integrated pneumatic system. By combining these operations into a unified dry pneumatic process, the system eliminates water usage while managing complexity through functional integration rather than separate discrete equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances processing efficiency, increases metal recovery, and reduces environmental impact by producing a higher-grade concentrate with lower silica content and minimizing waste disposal needs.
Implementation Method 1
Step b) may be performed by pneumatic classifiers, with a cut between about 90%
Implementation Method 2
magnetically separating the ore deslimed in step c), resulting in a concentrate product and a reject
Implementation Method 3
The most common ore concentration process, capable of processing large quantities of ore, is flotation, carried out in mechanical cells or flotation columns
Implementation Method 4
Grinding is necessary to release metals and minerals from the ore or rock
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses an advantageous and effective process for the concentration of iron ores, which can be fully dry or mixed, part of the process being dry, part wet. The invention thereby improves process efficiency as a whole by increasing recovery of concentrators and increasing the useful life of the mines.