Development of a process to upgrade cobber iron concentrate at an iron ore processing plant

The paper presents a brief overview of the development of a process to upgrade iron ore concentrate at the processing plant of Mikhailovsky GOK. The combined process flowsheet developed on the basis of the performed test works for treatment of the cobber iron concentrate integrates such processes as fine screening, grinding, classification, magnetic separation, and flotation. Based on the research and plant trials results, a process design criteria document was elaborated, design works were completed, and a new 2,000 tph beneficiation facility to upgrade cobber iron concentrate was built, which ensures production of marketable products in a wide range of grades. As per the design, the final commercial products of the processing plant (the beneficiation facility) are two flotation concentrates: (1) concentrate with total iron content of 70.0% (w/w) and silica content of 2.6%; (2) concentrate with total iron content of 68.83% (w/w) and silica content of 4.1%. The combined iron concentrate contains 69.46% (w/w) of total iron and 3.29% of silica; iron recovery to the concentrate achieves 93.59% (calculated on the basis of the new beneficiation facility feed). The process solutions envisaged in the design of the facility allow producing various types of concentrates with iron content up to 71% and with low content of silica. The high grade of the resulting iron ore concentrate enables production of blast furnace pellets with improved characteristics and pellets for metallization (DR-grade). This expansion of the product range allowed Metalloinvest to increase its export capacities and the Russian market share.