AU2015100935A4

AU2015100935A4 - Water-saving electromagnetic panning mineral separating system

Info

Publication number: AU2015100935A4
Application number: AU2015100935A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Qing Wang
Original assignee: AUSTECH SUPPLIES Pty Ltd
Current assignee: AUSTECH SUPPLIES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2015-07-15
Filing date: 2015-07-15
Publication date: 2015-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 2023-07-15
Also published as: AU2015100935A6

Abstract

An electromagnetic panning separating system comprising a separator and thickening and dewatering device connected to the separator, wherein the separator includes a feeder for receiving ore pulp; a sorting cylinder for receiving the ore pup from the feeder; a water inlet to feed water into the sorting cylinder; an overflow device; an excitation coil, arranged to provide a downwards magnetic force to the ore pulp within sorting cylinder; an outer cylinder which encircles the excitation coil; a cone which sits at the bottom of the sorting cylinder to receive portions of the ore pulp that the magnetic force has acted on; a flow control valve under the cone; a magnetic balance column; at least three sensors arranged to detect the density of material within the separator; and wherein the thickening and dewatering device is arranged to receive tailings from the separator and return water to the separator that has been treated by the thickening and dewatering device. low, / Fiur/

Description

1 WATER-SAVING ELECTROMAGNETIC PANNING MINERAL SEPARATING SYSTEM Technical Field [0001] The present invention generally relates to the mineral separation, with specific focus on an efficient water-saving electromagnetic panning separating system of water recycling. Background Art [0002] The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application. [0003] Commonly used column type electromagnetic, gravity separating equipment for mineral separation utilizes permanent magnet and electromagnetic method to generate magnetic fields for sorting. The minerals to be separated enter a sorting cylinder through an upper feeder, and interact with externally fed water that enters from the bottom of the sorting cylinder. Then upstream; weak magnetic and non-magnetic minerals rise under the effect of the rising water, and overflow through an overflow device of the sorting cylinder and become tailings. The magnetic minerals descend under the effect of gravity and down-streaming magnetic field force. Under the effect of gravity and the down-streaming magnetic field force the magnetic minerals then form concentrate at the bottom of the electromagnetic, gravity separating equipment. These commonly used electromagnetic, gravity separating equipment include Magnetic Agglomerating Machines, Magnetic Separating Column, Panning Magnetic Separators, Maglev Concentrators, Grade Improvers, Maglev Separating Column etc. Disadvantageously, these types of equipment are: low yield, produce an unstable grade of concentrate and have a high water consumption. These types of equipment have higher requirement for the pressure and quality of the water, (pressure higher than 0.25MP/water quality 300PPM); large quantities of water consumption (using 3-5 tons of water per ton of dry ore), with more than 90% of the water entering into the tailings through the Overflow Box on the equipment. This has resulted in column type electromagnetic, gravity separating equipment not being widely used in arid areas.

2 [0004] In the past, during the designing of separating plants, these column types electromagnetic, gravity separating types of equipment are regarded as general magnetic separating machines, their tailings enter into the tailings treatment system of the mine. Due to the low concentration of the tailings (around 2-5%), both the processing costs and load of system will be significantly increased if such tailings directly entering the tailings treatment system. This part of the tailings contain a small amount of weak magnetic, vein mineral and part of lean intergrowth. For retrieving these magnetic minerals from these tailings, a large quantity of concentration magnetic separating equipment are to be equipped and provided to the volume of the ore pulp. This creates several problems: due to the low density (around 2% to 5%) of the tailings to be processed, the tailings directly entering the tailing treatment system significantly increases the load of the system, sometimes beyond 50%, which can result in the shutdown of the whole tailings treatment system and water system. This leads to a rectification over the entire system, and the cost of the treatment for the tailings becomes very high. Another problem is that, due to its low density (round 2-5%), it is quite difficult to retrieve the magnetic mineral among it, thus the tailings will contain weak magnetic and non-magnetic minerals in the end, this causes the water quality to be low, which may lead to waste in water resources and environmental pollution. Therefore column type electromagnetic and gravity separating equipment cannot be directly used on its own, but as a part of the tailings treatment system. Summary of Invention [0005] In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an electromagnetic panning separating system comprising a separator and thickening and dewatering device connected to the separator, wherein the separator includes: a feeder for receiving ore pulp; a sorting cylinder for receiving the ore pup from the feeder; a water inlet to feed water into the sorting cylinder; an overflow device; an excitation coil, arranged to provide a downwards magnetic force to the ore pulp within sorting cylinder; an outer cylinder which encircles the excitation coil; a cone which sits at the bottom of the sorting cylinder to receive portions of the ore pulp that the magnetic force has acted on; a flow control valve under the cone; a magnetic balance column; at least three sensors arranged to detect the density of material within the separator; and wherein the thickening and dewatering device is arranged to receive tailings from the separator and return water to the separator that has been treated by the thickening and dewatering device.

3 [0006] Preferably, the at least three sensors include a concentrate density sensor in the cone, a tailings concentration sensor in the overflow device and a middling concentration sensor in the sorting cylinder used to sense the density of the ore pulp. These sensors test the components of the ore pulp. [0007] Preferably, tailings received by the thickening and dewatering device are concentrated, ground and re-separated. This allows any magnetic material still remaining in the tailings to be treated. [0008] Preferably, the tailings are passed from the separator to the thickening and dewatering device through an overflow device arranged above the sorting cylinder. [0009] Preferably, a feeding tube supplies ore pulp to the feeder and a distribution tube supplies the ore body from the feeder to the sorting cylinder; and wherein the bottom of the distribution tube is closed, and includes distribution orifices are evenly spaced at the its side. [0010] Preferably, the overflow device includes a ring spillway, the ring spillway being arranged to have an inclining angle the of six to nine degrees, so that the tailings can outflow smoothly. [0011] Preferably, there are six to 10 excitation coils installed vertically; wherein fixed or variable excitation current is supplied to different coils to generate a magnetic field, and wherein the magnetic field is arranged to pull magnetic particles within the ore pulp e downward and form concentrate at the bottom of the Sorting Cylinder to discharge. Its function is to make the magnetic field in the sorting space to be uniformed, which is helpful to improve the grade of concentrate, thus to facilitate and enable the production of large-scale equipment. [0012] Preferably, the magnetic balance column is housed within the sorting cylinder, the magnetic balance having a height half to two third of the height of the sorting cylinder and a diameter of one third to half of the diameter of the sorting cylinder, the magnetic balance column being arranged to provide a uniform magnetic field within the sorting cylinder. [0013] Preferably, the sorting cylinder, includes a lower water ring and upper water ring, both including an annular Water trough and rectangle flow ports evenly opened on 4 the inner wall of the lower and upper water rings. The function of the Water Troughs is to make sure that water flow is more balanced after entering the Water Ring. [0014] Preferably, the bottom of the sorting cylinder is cone-shape, its taper being 15-75 degrees to facilitate the enrichment of the concentrate. [0015] Preferably, the electromagnetic panning system includes a control valve set at the base of the cone to automatically adjust the flow of concentrate. [0016] Preferably, the concentrate density sensor, middling density sensor and tailings density sensor are connected to a PLC control system, the PLC control system arranged to control the parameters of the control valve set, a feed water valve and the excitation current. [0017] In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of separating magnetic material from an ore pulp using the electromagnetic panning system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ore pulp is fed into the sorting cylinder through a feeding tube, water is fed into the sorting cylinder causing low density non-magnetised components of the ore pulp to rise as tailings into the overflow device, wherein magnetised components of the ore pulp are caused to sink and concentrate in the cone, wherein the low density tailings flow from a tailings pipe of the overflow device, entering the thickening and dewatering device, the thickening and dewatering device treating the water within the tailings, wherein the treated water flows out through the overflow port and become production recycling water, and sent back to the separator. Brief Description of the Drawings [0018] Notwithstanding any other embodiments that may fall within the scope of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an Electromagnetic Panning Separating System according to a first embodiment of the present invention Description of Embodiments [0019] Broadly, the present invention provides a water-saving electromagnetic panning mineral separating system to resolve the problems of low yield, unstable mineral 5 separating index and the use of large quantities of water inherent in traditional cylindrical magnetic and gravity separation equipment. For resolving the above mentioned problems, this invention adopts a solution designing a new type of automatic panning magnetic mineral separator 100 (one kind of cylindrical electromagnetic, gravity separating equipment). The separator 100 of the present invention includes selection equipment for magnetite installed at the front end of the dewatering equipment for the concentrate. The separator 100 directly uses thickening and dewatering equipment to process the Low concentration tailings water of an automatic panning magnetic separator. The tailing water can be directly returned into the separator 100 after being processed, by the thickening and dewatering equipment, as the feed-water of the automatic panning magnetic separator or any other equipment in mine. [0020] At the bottom flow of the thickening and dewatering equipment the concentration of the thickened tailing slurry can reach more than 20%, the volume of the slurry can be reduced by more than 70%, according to the need, it can be abandoned directly, also can use re-concentration magnetic separating equipment of tailings to accomplish the retrieving of the magnetite, afterwards entering regrinding and re-separating process. In addition, the water used by the automatic panning magnetic separator constitutes a self-circulation system and operates in closed loop, whether it is replenishing new water or adding flocculants, none will cause the disorder of the water supplying system of the separating plant. [0021] The automatic panning magnetic mineral separator of the present invention, allows large-scaling of the column type electromagnetic, gravity separating equipment, by means of electromagnetic coils, PLC control system and the utilization of related instrument, also realizes the automatic operation of the equipment. The water of tailings of the Panning Magnetic Separator through the associating efficient thickening dewatering equipment constituting a self-recycling treatment system, can operate efficiently, avoid the impact to the tailing water treatment system of the concentrator caused by the low density tailing water. Can save 60%-80% of water The density of the tailings of the Panning Magnetic Separator treated by the efficient thickening dewatering equipment is increased to 20% or more, easy to handle again. The details of the present invention with reference to the attached drawing, will now be described. [0022] With reference to Figure 1, the water-saving electromagnetic panning separating system 100 of the present invention includes a feeder 1 at its upper part for 6 feeding material to be separated into the system 100, a plurality of feeder supports 1-1 to support the feeder 1, and a feeding tube 1-2, feeding ore pulp through the feeding tube 1-2 into the feeder 1. From the feeder 1 a distribution tube 1-3 passes ore pulp, the end of the distribution tube is closed, apertures in the form of rectangle distribution ports are evenly opened surrounding the end, facilitating the ore pulp evenly enter into a sorting cylinder 6 through the distribution tube 1-3. An overflow device 2 is located under the feeder 1. The overflow device 2 includes an annular spillway, the spillway is tilted with respect to the horizontal around 6-9 degrees, in order to facilitate the tailings to flow out smoothly. The overflow device 2 and the sorting cylinder 6 are connected together by a flange 3, at the outside of the sorting cylinder 6. [0023] A plurality of excitation coils 4, preferably 4 to 6 are installed vertically, with fixed or variable excitation current being provided to different coils. An outer cylinder that encloses the excitation coils provide the outer surface of the sorting cylinder 6. The magnetic field produced from the excitation current running through the excitation coils 4 pulls the magnetic particles within the ore pulp, causing them to move downwards and form concentrate at the bottom of the sorting cylinder 6 for discharge. Magnetic balance column 11 is located at the central axis of the sorting cylinder 6. The height of the magnetic balance column 11 is to be half to two thirds of the height of the sorting cylinder 6, with a diameter of one third to half of the diameter of the Sorting Cylinder. The magnetic balance column 11 is used to cause the magnetic field produced within a sorting space in the sorting column 6 to be uniform. A uniform magnetic field encourages as much magnetic material as possible within the ore pulp to be affected, improving the concentrate grade. [0024] At the vertical mid-point and bottom of the sorting cylinder 6, respectively set are lower water ring 12 and upper water ring 10. Inside each of the water rings 10, 12, sit annular upper water trough 10-2 and lower water trough 12-2. Upper flow port 10-3 and lower flow port 12-3 are respectively located in upper water ring 10 and lower water ring 12 and evenly open on the inner wall of the Water Ring. The function of the water troughs 10-2, 12-2 is to ensure the water is balanced and smoothly flowing through the flow ports 10-3 and 12-3 when the water enters the sorting cylinder 6. A water control valve 10-4 is set on the water inlet pipe to adjust water intake into the sorting cylinder 6. In one embodiment the water control valve 10-4 is an electronic control valve. The skilled addressee will recognise that alternate control valves could be used and still fall within the scope of the present invention.

7 [0025] The bottom of the sorting cylinder is of a cone-shape, its taper being 15-75 degrees to facilitate the enrichment of the concentrate. The cone-shape comprising a large cone 14 and small cone 16. Concentrate control valve 17 is set at the concentrate outlet and used to automatically adjust the amount of concentrate passing through. On the large cone 14, a concentrate density sensor 15 is arranged to sense the concentrate in the large cone 14. The concentration density sensor 15 takes pressure readings from within the large cone 14 to indicate the concentration density. On the overflow device 2 a tailings density sensor 5 is located to take pressure readings within the overflow device 2 indicative of the density if the tailings. On the sorting cylinder 6 a middling density sensor 9 is located to measure the pressure of middlings to give an indication of middling density. The readings from the concentration density sensor 15, middling density sensor 9 and tailings density sensor 5 are fed to a PLC control system, to control the parameters of the concentrate valve, feed water valve, excitation current etc., to make the operating status stable, in order to obtain the best separating effect. [0026] Electromagnetic panning mineral-separating System 100 also includes thickening dewatering equipment 18 which is explained further in the below example. The thickening dewatering equipment 18 includes a swash plate concentrator, inclined tube thickener, filter, a pressure filter, tailings re-separation magnetic equipment, regrinding and re-separating equipment. Example [0027] An example of the working of the Electromagnetic panning mineral-separating System 100 follows. [0028] The excitation coil 4 connects to power and generates a magnetic field, ore pulp is fed through the feeder 1, and evenly enters into the sorting cylinder 6 through the rectangle distribution ports on the circumference of the bottom of the distribution tube 1-3. Rising water flow fed from the flowing ports 10-3, 12-3 of the upper and lower water rings 10,12 meets the ore pulp exiting the distribution tube 1-3. Under the effect of the elevating force of the rising water vein minerals, lean intergrowth etc. are minimally affected by the magnetic force and, rise with the rising water to the Overflow Tank to become tailings. Gravity and the magnetic force generated by the Excitation Coil 4 act on the magnetic particles or rich intergrowth of the ore pulp and move downwards under the effect of magnetic force and gravity. These affected magnetic 8 particles or rich intergrowth become concentrate in the large and small cone 14, 16 and are discharged through the Concentrate Valve17. [0029] The tailings with low density flow out through a tailing tube 2-1 of the overflow device 2, into the thickening dewatering equipment 18 through the thickening dewatering device feeding ports 18-2. The water being treated by the thickening dewatering equipment 18 flows out through the overflow port 18-1 and become recycling water, and will be sent to the upper water ring 10 or lower water ring 12 by pump. The density of the tailings treated by the thickening dewatering equipment is increased by more than 20%. Tailings valve 18-3 is located at the base of the thickening dewatering equipment 18. The tailings valve 18-3 is arranged to control the passage of tailings from the thickening dewatering equipment 18. [0030] The water fed back into the system 100 through overflow port 18-1 allows the system to save 60%-80% of the water fed into the separator 6. The density of the bottom current tailings of the concentration dewatering equipment may reach more than 20%, reducing the volume of 70% comparing to the time when it enters the concentration dewatering equipment. The above tailings can be directly discarded, also it can be treated by a Tailings Re-separating Magnetic Separating Equipment and then enter a regrinding and re-separating process. [0031] The system 100 has three options for water consumption: 1. Connect both upper water ring 10 or lower water ring 12 to overflow port 18-1, water will be replenished automatically, and a closed loop is formed for self-circulation. 2. Lower water ring 12 is connected with water supply, and upper water ring 10 will connect with overflow port 18-1 to use recycled water. There is pipe at overflow port 18-1 which will distribute excess recycled water to other equipment might use in mine. 3. Both upper water ring 10 and lower water ring 12 can be connected to new pipe for water replenishment. Upper water ring 10 could be closed off completely, leaving lower water ring 12 to replenish water through new pipe. Thickening dewatering device feeding ports 18-2 will dispose all recycled water to be used for other equipment in mine.

9 Alterations and Modifications to the Embodiments [0032] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. [0033] Although not required, the embodiments described with reference to the figures can be implemented as an Application Programming Interface (API) or as a series of libraries for use by a developer or can be included within another software application, such as a terminal or personal computer operating system or a portable computing device operating system. Generally, as program modules include routines, programs, objects, components and data files assisting in the performance of particular functions, the skilled person will understand that the functionality of the software application may be distributed across a number of routines, objects or components to achieve the same functionality desired herein. [0034] It will also be appreciated that where the methods and systems of the present invention are either wholly implemented by a computing system or partly implemented by computing systems then any appropriate computing system architecture may be utilised. This will include stand-alone computers, network computers and dedicated hardware devices, such as programmable arrays. Where the terms "computing system" and "computing device" are used, these terms are intended to cover any appropriate arrangement of computer hardware capable of implementing the function described. [0035] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic panning separating system comprising a separator and thickening and dewatering device connected to the separator, wherein the separator includes: a feeder for receiving ore pulp; a sorting cylinder for receiving the ore pup from the feeder; a water inlet to feed water into the sorting cylinder; an overflow device; an excitation coil, arranged to provide a downwards magnetic force to the ore pulp within sorting cylinder; an outer cylinder which encircles the excitation coil; a cone which sits at the bottom of the sorting cylinder to receive portions of the ore pulp that the magnetic force has acted on; a flow control valve under the cone; a magnetic balance column; three sensors, each sensor being arranged to detect the density of material within the separator; and wherein the thickening and dewatering device is arranged to receive tailings from the separator and return water to the separator that has been treated by the thickening and dewatering device.

2. The electromagnetic panning separating system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the at least three sensors include a concentrate density sensor in the cone, a tailings concentration sensor in the overflow device and a middling concentration sensor in the sorting cylinder used to sense the density of the ore pulp.

3. The electromagnetic panning system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there are six to 10 excitation coils installed vertically; wherein fixed or variable excitation current is supplied to different coils to generate a magnetic field, and wherein the magnetic field is arranged to pull magnetic particles within the ore pulp e downward and form concentrate at the bottom of the Sorting Cylinder to discharge.

4. The electromagnetic panning system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom of the sorting cylinder is cone-shape, its taper being 15-75 degrees to facilitate the enrichment of the concentrate. 11

5. A method of separating magnetic material from an ore pulp using the electromagnetic panning system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ore pulp is fed into the sorting cylinder through a feeding tube, water is fed into the sorting cylinder causing low density non-magnetised components of the ore pulp to rise as tailings into the overflow device, wherein magnetised components of the ore pulp are caused to sink and concentrate in the cone, wherein the low density tailings flow from a tailings pipe of the overflow device, entering the thickening and dewatering device, the thickening and dewatering device treating the water within the tailings, wherein the treated water flows out through the overflow port and become production recycling water, and sent back to the separator.