What are the processes of iron ore beneficiation?

Iron ore beneficiation is the process of purifying raw iron ore to increase its iron content and remove impurities. The main processes involved are:

1. Crushing and Grinding:

   • The extracted iron ore is initially crushed and ground to enable further processing in stages.

2. Screening and Classification:

   • The crushed ore is then screened to separate the particles based on size. Different sized particles may be subjected to different beneficiation processes.

3. Magnetic Separation:

   • Utilizes magnetic properties of the ore, separating magnetic iron ores (e.g., magnetite) from non-magnetic gangue materials.

4. Gravity Separation:

   • Exploits differences in densities of ore and gangue minerals to achieve separation. Dense media separation (DMS) and jigging are common methods.

5. Flotation:

   • Involves the use of chemicals to selectively bind to desired iron mineral particles and float them away from the undesired materials.

6. Hydrometallurgical Processes:

   • Leaching processes may be applied to dissolve desired metals into an aqueous solution for further concentration and purification.

7. Particle Size Reduction:

   • After beneficiation, the iron ore particles are often ground to a finer size to prepare them for pelletizing if required.

8. Dewatering:

   • Following beneficiation, dewatering processes such as thickening, filtering, and drying remove excess moisture from the ore to make it suitable for use.

By combining these methods, high-quality iron ore can be obtained for use in various industrial applications, including steelmaking.