Patent ID: 9579660
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: B03C,C22B

Claim:
1. A method for producing an iron oxide concentrate, comprising: mixing into a treatment slurry including a particulate low grade mineral assemblage suspended in water a flocculant comprising a synthetic anionic polyacrylamide polymer to provide a mixture, wherein the flocculant is mixed with the treatment slurry in an amount to provide a flocculant concentration in the mixture of from about 1 ppm to about 10 ppm on a weight to weight basis of the flocculant relative to the particulate low grade mineral assemblage in the treatment slurry; increasing a ratio of the particulate low grade mineral assemblage to water in the mixture in a dewatering device, recovering overflow water from the dewatering device and recovering a thickened slurry from the dewatering device; introducing the thickened slurry into a wet high-intensity magnetic separation device, the wet high-intensity magnetic separation device defining a slurry flow path that contains a flux amplifying matrix, and the wet high-intensity magnetic separation device operable to generate a high intensity magnetic field having flux lines that pass through the slurry flow path; and recovering a final concentrate fraction and a final tailings fraction from the wet high-intensity magnetic separation device; wherein the final concentrate fraction comprises an iron oxide concentrate.