Dry dense medium separation of iron ore using a gas-solid fluidized bed

Abstract

The dry dense medium separation of iron ore based on floating and sinking of ore particles in a gas-solid fluidized bed was investigated using zircon sand as the fluidized medium. The float-sink of ore particles with mean size D ave = 23.6 mm was investigated as the fluidizing air velocity and the float-sink time were varied. It was found that gangue with density less than 2850 kg/m3 which float is able to be separated from valuable ore with density greater than 2850 km/m3 which sink. The set point (density where half the particles float and half the particles sink) decreases with increasing the air velocity, and that the float-sink separation is completed within 2 min. The influence of diff..