Per: Anderson de araujo Soares (Vale S/A), klaydison Carlaile Silva (vale S/A), benito barbabela e silva (vale S/a), marconi bitencourt silva (vale S/A), fernanda hoffman (Gaustec Magnetic Technology), Cláudio Henrique Teixeira Ribeiro (Gaustec Magnetic Technology)
Abstract:
The challenge of processing tailings from iron ore beneficiation routes has become increasingly relevant in the mining industry. In this context, two samples from Vale’s beneficiation plants, one of Total Tailings and the other of Slurry, were characterized chemically, granulometrically and mineralogically. After this, high-field magnetic concentration tests were carried out on Minimag equipment exploring % solids, feed flow rate and matrix size, standard or extended (High Mag). The results obtained for the total tailings show the possibility of a 40% increase in feed capacity with the extended matrix, generating a Rougher concentrate of 54% Fe; for the sludge, it is observed that the metallurgical recovery with the extended matrix is 50% higher, however, a concentrate with an average content 2.5% lower was obtained, a fact that could be reduced by including the washing water in future tests with sludge. Thus, it is understood that the use of the extended matrix will increase the processing capacity of iron recovery projects in the tailings and increase the treatment of slimes via WHIMS with an extended matrix, which will bring benefits in the filtering and stacking stages for the new tailings