National University of Science and Technology “MISIS” (Moscow, Russia)

Dyusenbekov K. B., Post-Graduate Student
Shekhirev D. V., Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, shekhirev@list.ru

CJSC “GEOTESTSERVIS” (Moscow, Russia)

Olkhovsky A. M., CEO

Currently, processes of preliminary coarse-grained ore concentration prior to main beneficiation are becoming increasingly important due to the deteriorating quality of raw mineral materials. The most rapidly developing methods are automated ore sorting techniques, in particular X-ray radiometric (X-ray fluorescence) separation (RRS). The possibility of obtaining a commercial concentrate (manganese content not less than 36%, Mn/Fe ratio not less than 6.5) was investigated. Under the existing conventional technology, these requirements are unattainable. The beneficiation of the –50 + 25 mm class of ferromanganese ore, whose yield during ore preparation is 68%, was experimentally studied. The work was carried out on a representative sample of 100 pieces. The mass and average density of each piece were determined. The separation feature value for each piece was determined in static and dynamic modes using the measuring system of the X-ray radiometric separator SRF1-100L-3PPPD. After the experiments, the actual manganese and iron contents were determined for each piece. The compositions of concentrates achievable by separating the feed material by density and by separation feature value (both in static and dynamic modes) were calculated as a function of the medium density or the separation feature value in the separator setting at which separation occurs. Density separation is impractical due to the presence of significant amounts of hematite. The possibility of obtaining a high-quality manganese concentrate by the X-ray radiometric method with a manganese content of 36%, a Mn/Fe ratio of 29.4 and a recovery of 85% from the –50 + 25 mm class is demonstrated. These indicators correspond to the maximum theoretical limits, limited only by the degree of liberation of manganese minerals in the pieces. Thus, experimentalstudies have shown the high efficiency of preliminary beneficiation of ferromanganese ore of size class –50 + 25 mm by X-ray radiometric separation.

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