Operational Control of Iron Content in Classifier Overflow Pulp using Gamma Radiation

The objective of the work is to study the possibility of real-time control of the mass fraction of iron in the multiphase medium using the gamma absorption method. The object of the research is the process of monitoring the iron content in the classifier drain pulp of an ore beneficiation plant. The research subject is the means of controlling the parameters of technological processes in concentrating factories based on nuclear-physical methods. The research methods are statistical analysis and laboratory studies of the factors affecting the accuracy of the gamma absorption method for determining the content of the valuable component in iron ore pulp. During the work, an investigation was conducted on the possibility of real-time control of the iron content in the multiphase medium using the gamma absorption method. A gamma radiation sensor was developed to study the energy spectra of transmitted and scattered gamma radiation from various ionizing radiation sources at the boundaries of the multiphase medium. A device for real-time determination of the iron content in iron ore pulp under the conditions of a concentrating factory was considered, and the influence of disturbing factors on the control accuracy was investigated. Sets of samples were prepared with the iron content characteristic of concentrate, feed ore, and beneficiation tailings. Experimental studies were carried out on the influence of the iron ore pulp density and its solids on the intensity of the registered gamma radiation when using the gamma absorption control method. As a result of the investigations, average values of the intensity sensitivity to changes in iron content for different solid levels in the sample were obtained. The sensitivity of intensity to changes in density at a fixed iron content in the solids was established. It was found that the maximum sensitivity for iron determination is observed at low iron contents, with a minor effect of density (1% change in density ≈ 1.5...2% change in iron content). The experiments confirmed the potential of using the gamma absorption method to determine the iron content only in the case of constant pulp density or introducing a correction for the actual density value.