ESPIRAIS CONCENTRADORAS NO TRATAMENTO DE MINÉRIOS DE FERRO: UMA BREVE REVISÃO
REVISITING SPIRAL CONCENTRATION AS APPLIED TO IRON ORE BENEFICIATION
Arenare, Diego de Souza; Rodrigues, Otávia Martins S.; Araujo, Armando Corrêa de; Viana, Paulo Roberto de M.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4322/tmm.00504007
Tecnol. Metal. Mater., vol.5, n4, p.224-228, 2009
Resumo
A aplicação de espirais concentradoras no processamento de minérios de ferro data da década de 1960 na concentração de hematita especular no Canadá. Desde então, sua aceitação tem sido ampla entre as empresas produtoras de minério de ferro. As espirais, apesar de ter um funcionamento muito simples, possui um dos mais complexos mecanismos de separação entre os métodos gravíticos. Os principais mecanismos de separação descritos na literatura são apresentados neste artigo, assim como as principais variáveis de projeto, as quais também são importantes no que diz respeito a uma melhor eficiência para o processamento de diferentes tipos de minérios, ou diferentes etapas de processo. Por fim, os principais problemas operacionais em circuitos de espirais são apresentados, com algumas sugestões de melhorias.
Palavras-chave
Espiral concentradora, Minério de ferro
Abstract
The application of spiral concentrators in the processing of iron ores started in the 1960’s for the concentration of a specular hematite ore in Canada. Since then, its acceptance has been ample among most iron ore producing companies. Spirals, although presenting very simple operating principles, have one of the most complexes separation mechanisms among all the gravity beneficiation methods. The main separation mechanisms described in literature are presented in this paper, as well as the design variables, that are of fundamental importance with respect to the achievement of a better efficiency for the processing of different types of ores or different stages in the process. The main operational problems occurring in spiral circuits are presented and some suggestions for improvements are made.
Keywords
Spiral concentrator, Iron ore
References
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9 KAPUR, P.C.; MELOY, T.P. Spirals observed. International Journal of Mineral Processing, v. 53, n. 1-2, p.15-28, Feb. 1998.
10 RICHARDS, R.G.; MACHUNTER, D.M.; GATES, P.J.; PALMER, M.K. Gravity separation of ultra-fine (–0.1 mm) minerals using spiral separators. Minerals Engineering, v. 13, n. 1, p. 65-77, Jan. 2000.
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2 ABELA, R. Solutions to common design and operating problems in spiral circuits. In: HEAVY MINERALS 2003, Johannesburg, South African. Proceedings... Johannesburg: Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2003. p. 9-12.
3 ARENARE, D.S. Estudos de concentração de bauxitas por métodos de concentração gravítica. 2009. 148 p. Dissertação (Mestrado em Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Minas) − Escola de Engenharia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 2009.
4 ATASOY, Y.; SPOTTISWOOD, D.J. A study of particle separation in a spiral concentrator. Minerals Engineering, v. 8, n. 10, p. 1197-208, June 1995.
5 BURT, R.O. Gravity concentration technology. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1994.
6 DALLIRE, R.; LAPLANTE, A.R.; ELBROND, L. Humphreys Spiral Tolerance to feed variations. Bulletin of Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, v. 71, n. 797, p. 123-34, Sept. 1978.
7 DOMENICO, J. The mighty spiral. Outokumpu Technology Physical Separation Newsletter, n. 1, p. 1-6, Sept. 2005.
8 HOLLAND-BATT, A.B. Some design considerations for spiral separators. Minerals Engineering, v. 8, n. 11, p. 1381‑1395, Nov. 1995.
9 KAPUR, P.C.; MELOY, T.P. Spirals observed. International Journal of Mineral Processing, v. 53, n. 1-2, p.15-28, Feb. 1998.
10 RICHARDS, R.G.; MACHUNTER, D.M.; GATES, P.J.; PALMER, M.K. Gravity separation of ultra-fine (–0.1 mm) minerals using spiral separators. Minerals Engineering, v. 13, n. 1, p. 65-77, Jan. 2000.
11 WILLS, B.A. Gravimetry concentration In: WILLS, B.A. Mineral processing technology. 5. ed. Oxford: Pergamon, 1992. p. 407-47.
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