Evaluation of materials from the excavation of the Ouenza hematite deposit (North-East Algeria) by gravimetric enrichment

Abstract

Manuscripts should Quarries and mines that exploit hematite ore Fe₂O₃ usually have a large quantity of waste rock with low iron content, stored in the slag heaps of quarries or mines without enrichment. This work consists in finding solutions to this product to make it more or less usable in industries. After chemical and mineralogical analysis of the whole product, the large percentage of existing chemical elements is the hematite ore Fe₂O₃ which has a low iron concentration. To improve its iron content, it must be treated by chemical and hydro mechanical processes that are economically viable. Since it remains in the product heap, it will be degraded in the open air of the quarry by atmospheric chemical reactions. A certain amount of this stockpile is sampled at different locations in a heap to distinguish the chemical elements of the dominant product. The search for good enrichment techniques of these materials after their homogenization led us to choose among the main separation operations, those based on the difference of densities obtained by suspension in granulated Ferro-solutions composed of silicon and magnetite. From the results of the gravimetric separation, three fractions were obtained: an iron-rich fraction; a medium fraction; an iron-poor fraction <10%. According to the magnetic properties analysis, as a semi-separated product, the medium iron fraction will undergo a new enrichment sequence by high magnetic field separation.