3672 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
Therefore, developing high-efficiency, low-cost, clean steel
foundational material production technology has become
an urgent problem for the steel industry (Wang et al.,
2017).
High-purity iron concentrate can be divided into high-
purity and ultra-purity, according to its different quality
requirements (Tan et al., 2023). Among them, high-purity
iron concentrate is mainly used to produce direct reduced
iron (DRI), which is then smelted to produce clean steel-
base materials. Ultra-purity iron concentrate can be directly
used in the production of clean steel (Rosner et al., 2023).
Currently, the preparation method of high-purity iron con-
centrate is usually through deep processing of ordinary iron
concentrate to remove impurities such as silicon, alumi-
num, calcium, and magnesium (Wang and Yang, 2011).
The specific processing technology is determined based on
the ore properties of the raw materials and product qual-
ity standards. The main process methods include flotation,
magnetic separation, gravity separation, and effective com-
binations of various methods (Roy et al., 2020 Zhang et
al., 2021).
For feed where magnetite is the main iron mineral,
and the embedded particle size is relatively coarse. It is pos-
sible to obtain high-purity iron concentrate with higher
purity using a single magnetic separation. Qiao et al. used
low-grade metamorphic magnetite with a total Fe grade
of 12.22% to produce products with a total Fe grade of
71.58% and a SiO2 content of 0.37% through magnetic
separation (Qiao et al., 2010). The approach utilizing
magnetic separation effectively increased the added value
of products and dramatically reduced the lower limit of
available iron ore grade. However, due to the endowment
characteristics of domestic iron ore resources, treatment of
adjoining bodies effectively using a single magnetic separa-
tion process is challenging. Therefore, for iron ores with
fine particle size and complex associated relationships, the
combined process of magnetic separation-flotation is often
used to prepare high-purity iron concentrate. Given the fine
particle size of iron ore in Xinjiang, Guan Xiang researched
the preparation of high-purity iron concentrate based on
producing ordinary iron ore (Guan et al., 2015). At the
same time, some mineral processing plants abroad also use
this method to produce high-purity iron concentrate. This
method can flexibly produce concentrate products of dif-
ferent specifications according to market demand.
At this stage, the high-purity iron concentrate prepa-
ration technology is mainly determined through mineral
processing experiments (Wu et al., 2023). However, after
extensive experiments, it has been discovered that some raw
materials cannot be processed to obtain high-purity iron
concentrate. Based on the academic concept of genetic min-
eral processing, the team of Professor Han of Northeastern
University proposed a high-purity iron concentrate prepa-
ration evaluation system. Detailed process mineralogy
studies on iron concentrates was conducted to verify the
accuracy of the evaluation system further. Simultaneously,
deep impurity removal of iron concentrate, selective reduc-
tion of high-purity iron concentrate, and low-carbon
smelting technology have been developed, forming a new
technology for a more simplified green preparation of clean
steel base materials based on the source control of impurity
content. This innovative approach opens up new pathways
for the production technology of clean steel base materials.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials and reagents
Samples for establishing a feasibility evaluation system for
preparing high-purity iron concentrate were taken from dif-
ferent regions in China. The process mineralogy character-
istics of the samples were investigated from the perspectives
of chemical composition, mineral symbiotic relationship,
and grain size distribution of the target mineral. Further
research on the preparation process of high-purity iron con-
centrate was conducted to determine the best preparation
process. An evaluation system was established by analyzing
the intrinsic relationship between the sample process min-
eralogy characteristics and selection indicators. The samples
used to verify the applicability of the evaluation system
were taken from Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province. The
process mineralogy investigation of these samples encom-
passed multiple aspects, including chemical composition,
mineral constituents, and the degree of primary mineral
dissociation. The flotation reagent used in the study was a
laboratory-made ether amine cation collector.
Experimental process
The pre-concentration and magnetic separation-reverse
flotation (PCMF) process was used to prepare high-purity
iron concentrate, and the treatment strategy is shown in the
flow diagram of Figure 1. First, an electromagnetic separa-
tor was used to pre-concentrate the experimental samples
and reject the non-magnetic gangue. Subsequently, the pre-
selected concentrate was then ground to different particle
size distribution targets and subjected to weak magnetic
separation. Then the weak magnetic separation concentrate
was sent to the electromagnetic separator for further separa-
tion. Following this, the concentrate underwent a second
stage of fine grinding. Finally, secondary weak magnetic
separation and electric separation were conducted again,
with the use of reverse flotation to remove newly liberated,
Therefore, developing high-efficiency, low-cost, clean steel
foundational material production technology has become
an urgent problem for the steel industry (Wang et al.,
2017).
High-purity iron concentrate can be divided into high-
purity and ultra-purity, according to its different quality
requirements (Tan et al., 2023). Among them, high-purity
iron concentrate is mainly used to produce direct reduced
iron (DRI), which is then smelted to produce clean steel-
base materials. Ultra-purity iron concentrate can be directly
used in the production of clean steel (Rosner et al., 2023).
Currently, the preparation method of high-purity iron con-
centrate is usually through deep processing of ordinary iron
concentrate to remove impurities such as silicon, alumi-
num, calcium, and magnesium (Wang and Yang, 2011).
The specific processing technology is determined based on
the ore properties of the raw materials and product qual-
ity standards. The main process methods include flotation,
magnetic separation, gravity separation, and effective com-
binations of various methods (Roy et al., 2020 Zhang et
al., 2021).
For feed where magnetite is the main iron mineral,
and the embedded particle size is relatively coarse. It is pos-
sible to obtain high-purity iron concentrate with higher
purity using a single magnetic separation. Qiao et al. used
low-grade metamorphic magnetite with a total Fe grade
of 12.22% to produce products with a total Fe grade of
71.58% and a SiO2 content of 0.37% through magnetic
separation (Qiao et al., 2010). The approach utilizing
magnetic separation effectively increased the added value
of products and dramatically reduced the lower limit of
available iron ore grade. However, due to the endowment
characteristics of domestic iron ore resources, treatment of
adjoining bodies effectively using a single magnetic separa-
tion process is challenging. Therefore, for iron ores with
fine particle size and complex associated relationships, the
combined process of magnetic separation-flotation is often
used to prepare high-purity iron concentrate. Given the fine
particle size of iron ore in Xinjiang, Guan Xiang researched
the preparation of high-purity iron concentrate based on
producing ordinary iron ore (Guan et al., 2015). At the
same time, some mineral processing plants abroad also use
this method to produce high-purity iron concentrate. This
method can flexibly produce concentrate products of dif-
ferent specifications according to market demand.
At this stage, the high-purity iron concentrate prepa-
ration technology is mainly determined through mineral
processing experiments (Wu et al., 2023). However, after
extensive experiments, it has been discovered that some raw
materials cannot be processed to obtain high-purity iron
concentrate. Based on the academic concept of genetic min-
eral processing, the team of Professor Han of Northeastern
University proposed a high-purity iron concentrate prepa-
ration evaluation system. Detailed process mineralogy
studies on iron concentrates was conducted to verify the
accuracy of the evaluation system further. Simultaneously,
deep impurity removal of iron concentrate, selective reduc-
tion of high-purity iron concentrate, and low-carbon
smelting technology have been developed, forming a new
technology for a more simplified green preparation of clean
steel base materials based on the source control of impurity
content. This innovative approach opens up new pathways
for the production technology of clean steel base materials.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials and reagents
Samples for establishing a feasibility evaluation system for
preparing high-purity iron concentrate were taken from dif-
ferent regions in China. The process mineralogy character-
istics of the samples were investigated from the perspectives
of chemical composition, mineral symbiotic relationship,
and grain size distribution of the target mineral. Further
research on the preparation process of high-purity iron con-
centrate was conducted to determine the best preparation
process. An evaluation system was established by analyzing
the intrinsic relationship between the sample process min-
eralogy characteristics and selection indicators. The samples
used to verify the applicability of the evaluation system
were taken from Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province. The
process mineralogy investigation of these samples encom-
passed multiple aspects, including chemical composition,
mineral constituents, and the degree of primary mineral
dissociation. The flotation reagent used in the study was a
laboratory-made ether amine cation collector.
Experimental process
The pre-concentration and magnetic separation-reverse
flotation (PCMF) process was used to prepare high-purity
iron concentrate, and the treatment strategy is shown in the
flow diagram of Figure 1. First, an electromagnetic separa-
tor was used to pre-concentrate the experimental samples
and reject the non-magnetic gangue. Subsequently, the pre-
selected concentrate was then ground to different particle
size distribution targets and subjected to weak magnetic
separation. Then the weak magnetic separation concentrate
was sent to the electromagnetic separator for further separa-
tion. Following this, the concentrate underwent a second
stage of fine grinding. Finally, secondary weak magnetic
separation and electric separation were conducted again,
with the use of reverse flotation to remove newly liberated,