Development of process flowsheet for

Beneficiation of Indian Banded Haematite

Quartz (BHQ) iron ore.

Basava Raj
B.S.S.Rao
Suresh Chandra

Research and Development Centre, NMDC,

Hyderabad-500 007, INDIA
[ www.nmdc-india.com/rnd.htm ] 1
 Presentation Layout
• Introduction
– NMDC and Research Centre
• Beneficiation of B H Q iron ore
• Characterization
– Chemical
– Mineralogy
• Upgradation strategy
– Grind-liberation studies
– Test work plan
– Low intensity drum magnetic separation
– High intensity magnetic separation (grooved type matrix)
– Flotation
• Process flowsheet
• Discussions and Conclusions 2
 Introduction
• NMDC - National Mineral Development Corporation
[www.nmdc-india.com]
– Incorporated on 15th November 1958 under the Ministry
of Steel, Govt. of India.
– Single largest producer of iron ore in india, Producing
about 30 million tonnes per anum.
– The products are B.F grade Lump and sinter grade fines.
– Has mechanized open cast iron ore mines of about 5-10
million tones capacity each.
– Single largest producer of Diamonds in india (84,000
3
carats per anum)
 Iron Ore Mines
of NMDC in India

Delhi

Kolkatta

Raipur

Mumbai Bhubaneshwar

Hyderabad
Bailadila Iron Ore - Dep 14 &
R&D Visakhapatnam 11C
Donimalai Iron Bailadila Iron Ore - Dep 10, 11A
NMDC
Ore Project
UPFO & 5 - Dep 11B
Bailadila Iron Ore
Head office

Kumaraswamy
Bangalore
Chennai
INDEX
Iron Ore Project Regional Offices
Under Production
Under Construction
Under Investigation 4
Research and Development Centre

5
 Research and Development Centre
• Established in 1971 at Hyderabad, INDIA.
• Objective :
– Process development for different ores and
minerals.
– Technology development for value addition.
– Mineral based Product development.
• Major testing facilities:
– Mineralogy
– Batch ore dressing
– Integrated Mineral Beneficiation Pilot plant
– Hydro and pyro metallurgical lab
– Bulk solids flowabalilty
6
– New product development
 Research and Development Centre
• Achievements
– Products developed by R&D Centre
• Natural pellets
• Ultra pure ferric oxide
• High purity iron powder
• Pigment grade ferric oxide
• Ferrite powder
– Patents
• A total of six patents have been granted.
• Two are international patents.
– Centre of excellence and ISO certified.
7
 Beneficiation of B H Q iron ore
• Indian Iron ores. ( Brief Introduction) :

– India is gifted with abundant reserves of iron ores.

– However the major source of iron is hematite variety.

– The major iron ore deposits through out country can be

divided in to 5 zones from south to eastern part of India.

– The Rich grade iron ores are confined to Bailadila and

Sandur-Hospet sector.

– Rest of the iron ores are of medium to low grade with high
alumina as gangue minerals. 8
 Occurrences Of Iron Ore In India
The entire country is divided into five zones of iron ore occurrences as indicated below:

INDIA Chiriya, Noamundi,Kiriburu,

Meghataburu,Thakurani,Bolani,
Zonal Distribution Of Iron Ore Gua,Malangtoli,
Gandhamardhan,Daitri

Bailadila, Dalli, Rajhara,

Rowghat, Mahamaya,
Aridongri, Surajgarh

Donimalai, Ramandurg,

* Kumaraswamy, NEB Range,

Ettinahatti, Tunti, Belegal

*
**
N.Goa, S.Goa, Redi

Kudremukh, Bababudan,

* Kudachari

9
• Challenges before India:
– Increasing the steel production to 180 million tones per anum
by 2020.
– Increase iron ore production to 300 million tones per anum.

• Requirements:
– Tremendous increase of iron ore production through opening
up of new deposits,
– Maximizing the resource by value addition.
– Exploitation of low grade ores like BHQ.

• R&D Centre’s Effort:

– R&D Centre of NMDC has been extending its technical
expertise for development of low and lean grade deposits and
for utilization of mine waste.
10
“In this paper the details of Process
development for BHQ of Bellary
Hospet Sector [ From Zone-C ] of
India is presented.”

11
BHQ of Bellary –Hospet Sector of India.
• Characterization:
– Chemical analysis
Fe 36.50
FeO 2.25
SiO2 43.20
Fe SiO2
Al2O3 0.17
P 0.02
S 0.001
FeO
LOI CaO 0.52
S Al2O3
P MgO CaO MgO 1.16
LOI 0.60
12
• Size wise chemical analysis:
%Fe
Size in mm Wt% %Fe %SiO2 distribution
-0850+0.600 15.7 35.20 46.40 15.1
-0.600+0.425 13.9 35.10 45.70 13.4
-.0425+0.300 8.2 36.40 43.70 8.2
-0.300+0.212 6.3 38.40 40.76 6.6
-0.212+0.150 7.5 39.60 39.10 8.2
0.150+0.106 9.1 39.10 38.52 9.8
-0.106+0.075 9.9 39.60 39.24 10.7
-0.075+0.063 5.9 45.40 30.88 7.3
-0.063+0.045 6.0 33.40 44.80 5.5
-0.045+0.038 3.0 35.80 42.44 2.9
-0.038 14.5 30.94 50.39 12.3
Total 100.0 36.50 43.20 100.0
13
Mineralogical Composition

Ore
minerals Gangue
62% Minerals
38%

14
• The raw ore is characterized by banded Hematite- Maghemite-
Quartzite with bands of varying width.

• Hematite is the predominant mineral followed by the considerable

amount of Maghemite.

• Maghemite is magnetic in nature and it is a family of iron oxide .

It has the same structure as magnetite and it is ferrimagnetic .

• Approximatley 40% of hematite occurs as coarse grained mineral.

15
• Both hematite and maghemite
show close mutual association.

• Quartz is the predominant

gangue mineral constituting
about 80% of total gangue
minerals.

• Rest 20% is ferromagnesian,

carbonate and other minerals.
16
Upgradation strategy
• The choice of the
beneficiation technique
Magnetic separation as first step
Why ?
•The presence of magnetic
mineral
i.e Maghemite and its
mutual association with
Hematite.
•Recovery of maghemite
would also recover
associated Hematite
minerals.
17
 Grind –liberation study
• Magnetic separation at what liberation size ?

• Davis tube tester is the best laboratory tool to determine

relationship between the grind liberation v/s grade and recovery.

• Crushed BHQ sample [Top size 3mm]

Closed circuit ball mill grinding

3mm 0.850 mm 0.150 mm 0.075 mm

0.212 mm 0.106 mm
18
• Davis tube tests on all these ground samples at 4000 gauss
Davis tube test results

! Inverse relationship Yield, grade and recovery curves

between yield, grade %Fe Fe Rec. yield

and recovery.
90
80 67.8
!Higher grade is 62.9 65.0
70 60.0

P e rc e n ta g e
60
possible at finer 50 43.0
46.8

liberation. 40
30
20
10
0
3.000 0.850 0.212 0.150 0.106 0.075

Liberation top size in mm

19
 Plan of test work based on mineralogy and
grind liberation:
“ BHQ stage crushed to 3mm”

Grinding to liberation size

Wet drum magnetic separation

Mag Conc Non-mag Tail

Flotation WHIMS

F.Conc. F.Tail. Mag Conc Middling Non-mag Tail

Flotation
20
F.Conc. F.Tail.
 Low intensity drum magnetic separation tests:

• Two stage wet drum magnetic separation was performed

1St STAGE
0.850 mm feed
PMC
Grinding to 0.100 mm
2nd STAGE

Primary magnetic tails SMC

Secondary magnetic tails

21
Results of wet drum magnetic separation:
P. M . S
Wt% 50.0

Wt% 50.0 %Fe 24.50

%Fe 48.50 P. M . C P. N.M .T %SiO2 57.20

%SiO2 29.20 %Fe 33.6

Reco.
%Fe 66.40
Reco. Grinding

S. M . S
Wt% 26.8 Wt% 23.2
%Fe 66.96 %Fe 27.17
%SiO2 5.10 S. M . C S.N.M .T %SiO2 57.04
%Fe Reco. 49.1 %Fe Reco. 17.3
22
Flotation with Secondary magnetic concentrate [SMC]:
[SMC]
! Sequential flotation where the concentrate of rougher
was again subjected to cleaner concentrate

S.M.C

Rougher
R.Conc.
Flotation

R.Tails Cleaner
C.Conc.
Flotation

23
C.Tails
Results of flotation with S.M.C:
Rougher Flotation
Wt% 4.2
Wt% 22.6
%Fe 59.51
%Fe 67.66
R.Conc R.Tail %SiO2 8.23
%SiO2 4.52
%Fe Reco. 6.8
%Fe Reco. 42.3

Cleaner Flotation
Wt% 19.0 Wt% 3.6
%Fe 68.80 %Fe 65.90
%SiO2 4.21 C.Conc C.Tail %SiO2 6.16
%Fe Reco. 35.8 %Fe Reco. 6.5
24
Wet drum magnetic
separator

Concentrate

Flotation Yield = 19.0%

Grade = 68.80 %Fe
Iron Recovery = 35.8%

25
How to maximize the iron recovery ?
" By recovering iron units from Non- magnetic products of
Wet drum magnetic separator.

What the non-magnetic product consists of ?

" P.N.M.T = Predominantly Hematite with minor inclusions of
Maghemite. Quartz as major gangue in both liberated
and unliberated form.

" S.N.M.T = Predominantly Hematite mostly in liberated form.

26
 Plan of test work based on mineralogy and grind
liberation:
“ BHQ stage crushed to 3mm”

Grinding to liberation size

Wet drum magnetic separation

Mag Conc Non-mag Tail

Flotation WHIMS

F.Conc. F.Tail. Mag Conc Middling Non-mag Tail

Flotation
27
F.Conc F.Tail.
Strategy for upgradation of non-magnetic products.

Gravity concentration ?

P.N.M.T Desliming through

Hydrocyclone

Wet high intensity

magnetic separation ?

28
Desliming through Hydrocyclone:

• The Primary Non Magnetic Tails [PNMT] was found to have

liberated quartz at medium to fine particle size.
• Desliming through Hydrocyclone was tried to reject these gangue
material without loosing much iron units.
• Stub-cyclone was adopted for this purpose which has capability
to reject coarser and lighter quartz in the overflow.

Feed [P.N.M.T] O/F

U/F 29
 Results of de-sliming:

Wt% 11.3
O/F %Fe 9.09
%SiO2 74.32
%Fe Reco. 2.8
Feed [P.N.M.T] Stub-cyclone
Wt% 50.0
%Fe 24.50 Wt% 38.7
%SiO2 57.20 %Fe 29.00
U/F
%Fe Reco. 33.6 %SiO2 52.20
%Fe Reco. 30.8

30
Gravity separation Magnetic separation
with with
cyclone underflow cyclone underflow

Wilfley gravity table Jone’s type WHIMS

31
Results of wilfley gravity table:
Wt% 2.6

Concentrate %Fe 64.00

%SiO2 6.84
Wt% 38.7 %Fe Reco. 4.6
%Fe 29.00
%SiO2 52.20
Middling Wt% 22.4
%Fe Reco. 30.8
%Fe 28.73
Cyclone U / F Wilfley Table %SiO2 49.17
%Fe Reco. 17.6

Wt% 13.7
%Fe 22.82

Tails %SiO2 65.74

%Fe Reco. 8.6
32
Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation:

! The Jones type WHIMS was selected for recovery of

paramagnetic mineral i.e Hematite .

! The cyclone underflow was ground to 0.100 mm top size

based on the poor results of tabling and mineralogical
studies of table products.

! The cyclone underflow ground to 0.100mm top size was

blended with secondary magnetic tails [ wet LIMS ].

! The blended product was subjected to two stage WHIMS.

33
Results of WHIMS:
Wt% 20.3

Mag-Concentrate %Fe 54.80

Wt% 61.9 %SiO2 19.09

%Fe 28.31 %Fe Reco. 30.5

%SiO2 54.01
%Fe Reco. 48.1
Middling Wt% 4.8
Cyclone U / F
%Fe 33.00
WHIMS 1st Stage %SiO2 47.96
%Fe Reco. 4.3
S.N.M.T
from wet LIMS
Wt% 36.8
%Fe 13.10

Non-mag Tails %SiO2 74.05

%Fe Reco. 13.3
34
Results of WHIMS:
Wt% 16.9

Mag-Concentrate %Fe 58.31

Wt% 20.3 %SiO2 14.64

%Fe 54.80 %Fe Reco. 27.0

%SiO2 19.07
%Fe Reco. 30.5
Middling Wt% 0.9

WHIMS 1st Stage %Fe 42.02

Mag- concentrate WHIMS 2nd Stage %SiO2 35.64

%Fe Reco. 1.1

Wt% 2.5
%Fe 35.68

Non-mag Tails %SiO2 43.03

%Fe Reco. 2.4
35
Flotation with WHIMS concentrate:
! Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation could result
a concentrate assaying 58.31% Fe with a yield of
16.9% and Fe recovery of 27% w.r.t.o.

! Flotation tests were desired to further upgrade this

concentrate.

! For this WHIMS concentrate was screened and

oversize was ground to 0.075mm top size and then two
stage flotation tests were performed.

! Sequential reverse flotation tests were conducted to

remove residual silica to get a concentrate assaying
36
more than 65% Fe.
Results of flotation with WHIMS concentrate.:
Rougher Flotation
Wt% 12.2 Wt% 4.7
%Fe 42.32
%Fe 64.47
R.Conc R.Tail %SiO2 33.69
%SiO2 7.30
%Fe Reco. 5.5
%Fe Reco. 21.5

Cleaner Flotation
Wt% 9.4 Wt% 2.8
%Fe 66.00 %Fe 59.33
%SiO2 4.92 C.Conc C.Tail %SiO2 15.29
%Fe Reco. 17.0 %Fe Reco. 4.5
37
The final Concentrate:
“ BHQ stage crushed to 3mm”

Grinding to liberation size

Wet drum magnetic separation

Mag Conc Non-mag Tail

Flotation WHIMS

F.Conc. F.Tail. Mag Conc Middling Non-mag Tail

Flotation

F.Conc. F.Tail.
38
Final Concentrate.
The possible final concentrates by blending different
products:
Fe
Final concentrate Yield % Fe % SiO2
Recovery
Concentrate-1
39.0 66.18 5.79 70.6
[S.M.C+R.Flotation Con.]
Concentrate-2
[Flotation conc. of S.M.C 31.2 67.12 5.41 57.3
+ Rougher flotation conc.
Concentrate-3
[Flotation conc. of 28.4 67.87 4.44 52.8
S.M.C+Cleaner flotation
conc.
39
Process flowsheet:
Raw ore stage crushed and ground to 0.850 mm top size

P.M.S

P.M.C P.N..M.T

Grinding to 0.100 mm Hydrocyclone

S.M.S
U/F O/F

S.M.C S.N.M.T Grinding to 0.100 mm

Flotation WHIMS

40
Non- Mag Middle. Mag. Flotation
Discussions:
! The Davis tube results show better yield at almost same grade
and iron recovery when compared to the wet drum magnetic
separator.
! One of the reasons could be the difference in the magnetic field
intensity.
! The Davis tube operates at 4000 gauss where as Wet drum
magnetic separator operates at about 1000 gauss.
Davis tube at 0.100 mm Wet drum at 0.100 mm
Yield 33.5 Yield 26.8
%Fe 66.80 %Fe 66.96
%SiO2 5.60 %SiO2 5.10
%Fe Rec. 61.3 %Fe Rec. 49.1
!The rare earth drum magnets which can give 5000 to 7000 gauss
can be tried in place of wet drums of ferrite magnets. 41
Conclusions :
" It is possible to obtain high Fe recovery by Wet LIMS due to
the advantage of the intergrowth of maghemite with hematite.

" The non-magnetic product consisting predominantly of

Hematite can be upgraded adopting WHIMS.

" The residual silica content can be reduced by adopting reverse

flotation.

" The wet LIMS, WHIMS and Flotation / Column flotation

machines proposed in the flowsheet have been adopted in the
commercial scale worldwide.

" Hence the proposed flowsheet can be adopted in industrial sacle

for treating ZONE-C BHQ ores of India.
42
" The expected yield and grade possible for BF grade
concentrate is 39% and 66% Fe respectively with a Fe
recovery of about 70%.

" Alternative result is yield and grade of 28% and 67.9% at a

Fe recovery of 53%

43
 Acknowldgements
# Mr. B.Ramesh Kumar, C M D, NMDC.
# Mr. P.S.Upadhyaya, Director [ Technical ], NMDC
# Mr.V.K.Jain, Director [ Production ], NMDC

The following scientists / engineers of R&D Centre, NMDC

for their contribution in the test work:
• Mr. T.P.R.Chary,
• Mr. N.V.Ramana Murthy,
• Dr. A.Madhusudana Rao,
• Mr. N.C.Laxman,
• Mr. Dilip Makhija
44
45
Questions…..

Contact :
! bssrao@nmdc.co.in

46