Magnetic separation has gained force with the advent of high gradient and field intensity continuous machines. A comparative pilot study was realized in order to magnetically recover hematite from a typical slime thickener underflow of a mill plant from Quadrilátero Ferrífero (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Two rotor (carrousel) high gradient magnetic separators (tagged as W1 and W2) and one vertical ring and pulsating high gradient magnetic separator (tagged as V) were tested. The best option was the machine W2 with field of 1.2 T, feed mass concentration of 35 %, and middlings flush water of 300 kPa. The more indicated for the cleaner step is the use of a magnetic field of 1.2 T, generating a concentrate with 5.48% of SiO2 and 62.75% of mass recovery. So, the relevance of this research also stems from the fact that it can subsidize other studies in order to face analogous problems in this context of intense mining activities in a region of such vast mineral resources.
High gradient magnetic separation; iron ore; wet magnetic separation
