Upgrading ultrafine iron ore

Summary

A laboratory scale selective flocculation process, capable of recovering iron oxide from a sample of ultrafine (< 10 µm) iron ore tailings containing kaolinite and other gangue minerals, was developed.

Under optimum conditions, a feed containing 46.6% iron produced a concentrate of 63.5% iron with an overall recovery of 58%.

Keywords: iron ore, ultrafine, up-grading, flocculation