Billinton Group

Elutriated Magnetic Separator

Billinton Group Pty. Limited (BG) and JKST Co., Ltd (JKST) from China, have established a strategic cooperation relationship regarding to the business of elutraited magnetic separators. BG are authorized to market and sell, in Australia and the Pacific Region, JKST's series of elutriated magnetic separation products equipped with the world leading technology, having an dominant position in China's market for beneficiation of low grade and refractory magnetite ores. 

Any iron ore exploration and mining company in Australia, especially mining developers who are involved with low grade refractory magnetite ores, and those who have a desire to upgrade their magnetite concentrates to 62%Fe or even 67%Fe, please contact us either Resources Company or Trading Division, we are more than happy to serve you.

By installation of this innovative eqipment, you can achieve a great economical benefit with a small investment.

Characteristics of Fully Automatic Elutriated Magnetic Separator

Elutriated magnetic separator is an electromagnetic-gravity separator with a low magnetic intensity. It can fully separate gangue and intergrowth particles, particularly intergrowths with low Fe content from ground magnetite ores and capture fine and ultra-fine librated magnetite ores to raise iron concentrate grade, achieving economic benefits such as quality improvement, contaminant reduction, productivity increase and efficiency enhancement.

Please click the followings to explore more about the elutriated magnetic separator:

• Operation Principle
• Features
• Application Areas
• Products and Technical Parameters
• Recommended Application Flowsheets

Comparison of Our Patented “Magnetic Suspension” Technology and Traditional “Magnetic Agglomeration” Technology

“Magnetic Suspension” beneficiation technology, patented in China, is a new mineral processing technology developed by JKST in China. The magnetic field in the separation cylinder is specially and evenly distributed across the section of the separating cylinder through a special design of magnetic system. Mineral particles under a continuous action of background magnetic field, magnetization and demagnetization move downwards in the form of suspending magnetic chains to achieve an isolation of magnetic materials from non-magnetic substances. Under the influence of a horizontal cutting-off from water impetus and the impact of the background magnetic field, the magnetic chains are likely to break at the point wherever an intergrowth exists due to its weak magnetism. These intergrowths are then forced to be separated and overflowed.

The application of “magnetic suspension” beneficiation technology completely makes up for the inadequacy of the separation theory of “agglomeration – segregation – agglomeration” adopted in the past for magnetic separation equipment. The theory of “agglomeration – segregation – agglomeration” actually follows the beneficiation technology of “gradient magnetic field”. Separation of gangue from magnetic iron particles is realized under the action of gravity and rising water through an alternating process of “agglomeration” and “segregation”. Here, whether the process of “agglomeration” and “segregation” is undertaken sufficiently or not can have direct bearings on beneficiation performance. Furthermore, as long as “agglomeration’ exists, “magnetic wrapping” and “magnetic inclusion” are unavoidable. In the phase of segregation, however, only gravity and the impact of water exist without effect of magnetic field as magnetic field is off at these times. Therefore the segregation of gangue and intergrowth is a passive process. The control ability of the traditional magnetic separation equipment in such situations is not good enough. Hence, the improvement of Fe grade is surely affected.

Another drawback of the beneficiation technology with “gradient magnetic field” is that the magnetic field along radial direction weakens very quickly. The greater the distance is, the worse the effect of “agglomeration – segregation – agglomeration” is. There is little or no magnetic field in the central area of the separating cylinder, leading to an unfavorable magnetic beneficiation result. The bigger the separating cylinder is, the more serious the problem is. This is the critical technological shortcoming that prevents such traditional magnetic separation equipment from being large in size and industrialized.

Fully automatic elutriation magnetic separator utilizes its unique “magnetic suspension” technology and realizes a large size of equipment. The diameter of the separating cylinder ranges from 400 to 2,400mm. The elutriation magnetic separator which handles over 150 tons of dry ore per hour is now operating continuously. Theoretically, larger equipment could be designed according to customers’ requirements. 

Successful Application of Large Scale Industrial Elutriated Electromagnetic Separator

Recently, two elutraited magnetic separators with the largest processing capacity of a single unit ever have been successfully launched and operated well in Mengku Mine in Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co., Ltd, Xinjiang, China.

The single equipment has a diameter of 1.8m for its separating cylinder, and can work fully automatically under various conditions with a yield of over 100 tons concentrates per hour. The amount of tailings and a desired Fe grade of concentrate can be pre-set. When feeding iron concentrate grades range from 64%-67%Fe, a stable final concentrate grade of 68±0.5%Fe has been achieved, with a grade of less than 8%Fe in the tailings.

A large size of equipment means less number of separators to deal with a certain amount of iron ore, reducing ore feeding distribution problem which small size equipment encounters.

The successful application of this large-scale automatic electromagnetic separator provides a key equipment for mining industry to produce a favorable iron concentrate, greatly enhancing economic benefits of ore processing operations.

Self-developed Plant Automatic Control Systems for Mineral Processing Plants

Schematic Drawing of Control System

New Characteristics -Plant Automation System Design

The system uses an advanced mathematical model and PLC techniques to search for the optimal control mode automatically. Control strategy is flexible. When parameters are set, the system will operate automatically. Human machine interface (HMI) is applied with touch screen; online monitoring is used to monitor the operating status. Apart from a single unit with a single controller, it also supports PROFIBUS protocol. A remote operation is implemented via interworking to realize grouped control for multi-elutriated electromagnetic separators, and carry out an automatic operation in the entire processing plant via controlling the centralized computer. Through a networked video system, ET200 station can realize a centralized monitoring. Digital display of the process parameters, automatic malfunction alarm and automatic electricity cut-off as well will ensure a maximum safety for both human and equipment so as to keep losses as minimum. A historical process log enquiry system is computerized in the system, which can provide key production data of the recent 30 days and generate a variety of charts, forms and reports. By means of internetworking technology, it functions in a two-way information transmission with a long distance to improve management of the operation of the equipment. It is truly realizing the plant automation.

Operation Instructions

Fully automatic elutriated magnetic separator is an integrated and automatic control system composed of human-machine interface (HMI), PLC, power elements, instruments on site and regulating valves.

Introduction of Monitor Screen

There are three sorts of magnetic fields for the machine. They are fixed magnetic field, cycle magnetic field and compensation magnetic field with different functions but being combined together to make the separator work properly:

Fixed magnetic field: it is mainly used for controlling tailings’ running away, preventing magnetic iron particles from overflowing as well as controlling the ratio of the intergrowths of lower Fe grade and the intergrowths of higher Fe grade;

Cycle magnetic field: it is the magnetic field for ore particle separation and is mainly used to control the length of the magnetic chain and its precipitation velocity downwards so as to control the concentrate grade;

Compensation magnetic field: it forms a homogeneous background magnetic field across the section of the separation cylinder to avoid the magnetic particle chain agglomeration and formation of a “magnetic cavity” in the center of the cylinder where there is little or no magnetism.

During Commissioning

When in commissioning, it is to work out a set of empirical values based on the preset formula in the computerized system according to ore properties. The values are such as strengths for three sorts of magnetic fields, and iron slurry concentration. These empirical values are then saved in the CPU of the controlling system.

During Normal Operation

By simply turning on/off the power, the equipment can automatically complete a set of procedures like “start”, “operate” and “shut down”.

During Water Pressure Fluctuation

An automatic water pressure control system is within the general control system to make sure a stable water supply and to ensure a stable separation condition in the separation cylinder.

Quality Services

According to the customers' requirements and ore types and properties, we will carry out detailed laboratory tests, testifying whether the ores are capable of being separated, determining the optimal conditions for separation and selecting the most appropriate type of equipment. We can also design a special machine to be suitable to the users' special requirements.

Provide all fully automatic elutraited magnetic separation products installation free of charge, and a long-term technical support. We are equipped with a team of hard-working and very experienced engineers who have all been working over the world for many years with the magnetic separators, providing related technical services, guiding installation and on-site-commissioning and training in operation and maintenance of the equipment.

Provide a long term supply of components and parts. Each machine is strictly conducted in inspection and test with electrical field, running-up and other quality testing procedures before it is sent out to ensure a 100% qualified product. The equipment and main parts are entitled to one year warranty (excluding wearing parts and consumables).

Tips: For a small laboratory test, please mail at least ten (10) kilograms of representative samples. Please also tell us your ore properties and testing requirements. We will carry out laboratory tests, and testify whether the samples are separable, and/or determine the optimal conditions for separation. The test results will be timely informed to you. Please contact us where and how to mail the samples.

Please contact either Trading Division, or Center for Innovative Mineral processing right now.