Magnetic separation

Magnetic separation is a process in which magnetically susceptible material is extracted from a mixture using a magnetic force. This separation technique can be useful in mining iron as it is attracted to a magnet. Magnetic separators are used to protect vital process equipment downstream from damage while it produces a clean separated final product. This type of equipment includes primary jaw crushers, cone crushers, hammer mills and other tertiary crushers. At the same time it can effectively prevent long sharp metal shards from cutting, ripping or tearing conveyor belts. They are most commonly used to separate tramp iron, also known as unwanted or damaged metal and ferrous impurities, from nonmagnetic materials conveyed in bulk form. These ferrous impurities originate from land fill or excavating machinery used to mine, extract, drill or recover raw material. Magnetic separation is a well-established separation technique and has become increasingly popular as new equipment on the market enhances the range of separations possible. It is an attractive process choice because of low capital and operating costs and the lack of chemicals to cause environmental concerns.

Rapid augmentation in the metal mining industry combined with increased demand of metals for construction and other industrial applications, make up for growth drivers for magnetic separators for metal mining. Moreover new deposits and mining sites have been recently discovered across the globe that has attracted a lot of companies to start exploration and mining of metals. Despite the positive growth, the industry has been facing certain restrictions in terms of extraction methods and the extent of extraction allowed. Government regulations have been put into place over concerns of ecological imbalance and environmental hazards that mining of metals and non-metals has caused over the years. Mining has had a major impact on agricultural lands as well. Intensive capital requirement and availability of expertise for operations are also some of the factors that have hindered the progress of mining, thereby reducing the demand for magnetic separators. Despite all the limitations, new opportunities lie in store. With the advent of new eco-friendly mining technologies, metal mining could see a spur of growth in the near future.

Based on the metal being mined, magnetic separators vary in terms of magnetic flux required for separation of metals. The magnetic separation industry classifies them as: electromagnets, permanent magnets and self cleaning magnets. Electromagnets require rectifiers; these are more commonly used in suspended applications. Suspended magnets need an overhead supporting structure to fix the magnet above a belt conveyor. Permanent magnet is made from a material that is magnetized and creates its own persistent magnetic field. Materials that can be magnetized, which are also the ones that are strongly attracted to a magnet, are called ferromagnetic. Self

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