Beneficiation of an Iron ore sample from Kudremukh deposits, Mysore

Abstract

A Sample of iron ore from the Kudremukh deposit of Mysore, assaying 42.17% Fe, 4.34% FeO, 36.3% SiO2 1.06% Al2O3, 0.074% S, 0.028% P, and 2.71% L.0.I. was received for beneficiation studies in National Metallurgical Laboratory. Magnetite, hematite, and goethite were the chief iron minerals and these were freed from quartz, the principal gangue, at about 100 mesh. Straight tabling at 48 mesh size yielded a table concentrate assaying 63,66 Fe 7.2% Si02 with a recovery of 71.7% Fe in it. Spiralling followed by tabling of the spiral tailing yielded a combined concentrate assaying 60.63% Fe and 9.9% SiO2 with 73.2% Fe recovery. Straight flotation using petroleum sulphonate at a pH of 3.5 followed by one cleaning yielded a concentrate assaying 63.8% Fe and 5.8%SiO2 with a recovery of 87.5% Fe. Wet magnetic separation followed by flotation of the non-magnetic fraction at pH 3.5 as before, yielded a mixed concentrate assaying 62.9% Fe and 6.2% SiO2 with a recovery of 90.1% Fe in the product.