How is ultra-fine ilmenite efficiently recycled?

On the demonstration line of high efficiency recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite in Xingmao Mining Company, the machines roar, the flotation equipment runs smoothly, and the systems of enrichment, flotation, filtration, pulp transportation and collector configuration are working in an orderly manner. Since the production and efficiency target was achieved in June this year, the output, grade and recovery rate of the ilmenite concentrate in the demonstration line exceeded the design capacity, the production cost was lower than the design target, and the efficient recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite was realized.

Establishing a project-- tapping the potential of resources

With the deep mining of vanadium-titanium magnetite resources, the ore blending is difficult, the grade is reduced, the production cost is gradually increased, and fine grinding is needed to obtain qualified iron and titanium concentrate. the resulting ultra-fine ilmenite is also gradually increasing.

In the actual production, these ultra-fine ilmenite can not be effectively recovered in the existing two-stage "high intensity magnetic + flotation" process, and can only be concentrated as ordinary slime, resulting in waste of titanium resources and occupation of land resources. It is understood that the amount of unrecovered ore that the company overflows through inclined plates every year is about 570000 tons. If the tailings containing titanium resources are recovered, at least tens of thousands of tons of ultra-fine titanium concentrate can be increased every year, and the economic benefit is very considerable.

The recovery of ultra-fine tailings has always been a world-class problem in the field of mineral processing. In order to achieve the goal of efficient recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite, the mining company began to set up a scientific research project on "Development and demonstration of High efficiency recovery Technology of Ultra-fine ilmenite" in early 2021. In cooperation with Changsha Mining and Metallurgical Research Institute, Zhengzhou University, North Mine Mechanical and Electrical Science and Technology and other units, set up an industrial test platform for overflow of strong magnetic concentrate concentrate in Jiangnan Concentrator of Xingmao Company, and carried out industrial recovery test of ultra-fine ilmenite.

By consulting a large number of research documents, a series of research and development and tests of new processes, new equipment and new agents have been carried out on the spot, and the separation process indicators have repeatedly broken through the set goals. mining companies have successfully developed a new process for recovering ultra-fine ilmenite with high efficiency and energy saving. Three national invention patents have been put forward and formed, such as "mineral processing method of ultra-fine ilmenite", "recovery method of ultra-fine ilmenite and production method of ilmenite concentrate". At the same time, the recovery project of ultra-fine ilmenite is also listed as a key R & D project in Sichuan Province in 2021.

Tackling key problems-- solving key problems

In March 2022, the demonstration line for high efficiency recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite was put on record by the Economic and Information Bureau of the Eastern District of Panzhihua City, which included graded enrichment, flotation, filtration and pulp transportation system. and collector preparation system, automatic drug feeding system, and supporting civil construction, water supply and drainage, power supply and distribution, automatic control system and so on. In the process of construction, in the face of unfavorable factors such as narrow site, tight time and heavy tasks, mining companies meet the difficulties and carry forward the Panzhihua Iron and Steel spirit of "hard struggle and courageously climbing the peak". The project will be completed on schedule by the end of 2022.

In order to ensure that the project reaches production and efficiency as scheduled, mining companies try their best to do a good job in the stable operation of the project production, strengthen the guarantee of production factors, precise dispatching and regulation, and strengthen the implementation of directional measures, which provides favorable conditions for realizing the project "reaching production in 3 months and achieving efficiency in 6 months".

"during the construction of the project, the biggest difficulty we encountered was the installation and operation of the flotation column." Wang Xianming, production sponsor of Xingmao tailings Branch, said. Flotation column is the key separation equipment in mineral processing process. As the first enterprise in Panxi region to apply flotation column in ilmenite separation process, Xingmao Company continues to tackle key problems around many problems and regularly accepts the results.

The technical research of flotation column is only one aspect of the work of many equipment. In order to complete the stable production of the demonstration line project as soon as possible, the mining company set up a technical team to achieve production and efficiency, held regular meetings, based on the stable operation of the existing system and tapping its internal potential, continuously explored, optimized and adjusted the operating parameters of the grading system, filtration system and flotation system, worked out and improved the three major regulations and four standards of the main equipment, and strengthened the equipment management to ensure the stable operation of the equipment. Rely on the flotation master workstation, continue to carry out various training, explore better operation methods, improve the operation level of staff and workers, carry out in-depth elimination of various types of equipment, strictly in accordance with the optimal production line standards, and promote standardized operation flow; do a good job in cost control of ultra-fine titanium concentrate, strive to reduce the unit consumption of flotation reagent, and ensure that the production cost of ultra-fine titanium concentrate can be effectively controlled.

Achieving efficiency-creating considerable value

On August 31, 2022, the main content of the project was completed.

On September 5, the project entered the equipment installation phase.

On October 27, the high voltage system of the project was powered up.

On November 1, the project began stand-alone commissioning.

On November 14, the project conducted a linkage load test.

Each time node condenses the painstaking efforts of the project participants. See the project change bit by bit, until the final completion, everyone has a share of their own moved.

00:22 on November fifteenth is a memorable moment. On this day, the terminal filtration process successfully realized ore extraction, and the grade and water content of titanium concentrate tested reached the requirements of the design index. This marks a successful test run with emphasis on load linkage, more than a month ahead of the project network node, and the project construction has run out of its own "acceleration".

After the completion of the project, they immediately sounded the "charge" of "reaching production in three months and achieving efficiency in six months". In accordance with the demonstration line set in the early stage to achieve the production and efficiency target, the mining company made every effort to tackle the key problems and handed in a bright report card. In March this year, the demonstration line project of high efficiency recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite successfully achieved the monthly production target. From April to June, we achieved continuous production for three months.

After the demonstration line is put into operation, more than 79900 tons of ultra-fine ilmenite concentrate will be recovered every year, which can not only solve the worldwide problem of industrial recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite, but also promote the deep recovery and utilization of vanadium-titanium magnetite resources in Panxi area. and it will have a good demonstration effect on the efficient recovery of ultra-fine ilmenite in the whole country and even in the world.

At present, the evaluation of the project has been successfully completed, and the follow-up mining companies will continue to tackle key problems, actively promote the stable production and efficiency of the project, and formulate detailed measures to ensure the achievement of the set goals.