Development of a linear high-gradient magnetic separator

To meet the fundamental requirements of the mining industry for a cost-effective continuous high-gradient magnetic separator (HGMS) a large-capacity continuous HGMS machine was developed. The separator has the following specifications: a background magnetic induction of 1.2 T is generated by a water-cooled split-coil magnet enclosed in steel cladding; screens of steel-mesh matrix are fixed on the belt that passes through the gap of the magnet. The matrix is cleaned in three stages, with the magnetic material being flushed outside the magnet, the flexible matrix being cleaned as it passes over the drive pulley, and the lower section of the separator being reverse-flushed. The separator is designed for the recovery of gold and uranium from ore residues in an energy efficient manner. The energy consumption is determined primarily by the distance between the coils, which is not dependent on the size of the separator; scale-up of the machine can be accomplished merely by increasing the width of the belt carrying the matrix. The matrix is not subject to clogging because of its flexibility and because reverse flushing is employed.