1. A feasibility study simulating superconducting magnetic separators for weakly-magnetic ores
- Author
-
R. W. Boom and Y.M. Eyssa
- Subjects
Superconductivity ,Turbulence ,business.industry ,Superconducting wire ,Metallurgy ,Separator (oil production) ,Mechanics ,engineering.material ,Hematite ,Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology ,Magnetic field ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,visual_art ,engineering ,visual_art.visual_art_medium ,Magnetic nanoparticles ,business ,Magnetite - Abstract
A “straight-wire” flow-through magnetic ore separator has been designed, built, and successfully used to separate magnetite from synthetic slurries. The purpose of these experiments was to simulate the field profile of a “straight-wire” superconducting magnetic separator which would be capable of separating weakly-magnetic hematite ore from typical slurries. Magnetite is used as the test mineral because it experiences the same magnetic forces at low field as does hematite at high field; thereby making possible less expensive low-field simulation. The present separator concept is based on the fact that there is a particle concentration profile due to the gravity field for low-velocity turbulent flow. When an upward magnetic force is applied, the concentration profile of magnetic particles can be reversed leaving the nonmagnetic particles flowing alone at the bottom of the channel. By means of a divider at the end of the channel, the concentrate is separated from the tailings. It is shown that the time needed to deflect hematite particles in a narrow cylindrical channel concentric with the superconducting wire is small enough so that high throughputs in the turbulent flow region are possible. In the case of a high-field superconducting separator, the centrifugal force could replace gravity by rotating the flow around a straight-wire conductor.
- Published
- 1975
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