Studies on Reduction Roasting followed by Low Intensity Magnetic

Separation for Banded Hematite Quartz Ore

Karamjith Sharma*1, S. N. Sahu1, B. K. Nayak1, R. Venugopal2, S. K. Biswal1
Karamjith Sharma*1, Sachida Nanda Sahu1, Dr. B. K. Nayak1, Dr. S. K. Biswal1,
CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar, *1Email: sharmakaramjith@gmail.com,
Prof. R. Venugopal2, ISM Dhanbad.

ABSTRACT
Iron ore resources of India are estimated about 25.24 billion tonnes, where 7.06 billion tones
are reserves and 18.18 billion tones are remaining resources. As per the statistical reports
Indian government annual production by 2020 will be 110MT steel, incurred iron ore demand
will rise to 170MT accordingly. Based on the upcoming demand for the above targeted
figures high grade iron ore will run out of stock in due course of time, so it’s much essential
to utilize leaner grade ores to augment the resources to be in the track plan. Because of
various socio economic constraints and poor locational dynamics, the leaner grade ores yet
not being exploited. The Banded Iron Formations (BIF) are chemically precipitated enigmatic
rocks constituting alternate iron-rich and iron-poor (amorphous silica rich) layers. Hence,
these type of ores need upgradation of Fe content which can be achieved by various
beneficiation techniques.

This paper gives an idea on the upgradation of leaner grade ore i.e., Banded hematite quartz
ore by means of magnetizing roasting using Indian non-coking coal as the reductant. It was
found that the head sample taken -10mm (80% passing) after crushing; having TFe% of
47.15%. Different characterization studies were done to identify the phases and formation of
minerals. The best result of the reduced magnetizing roasting is obtained for duration of
15min. roasting time at 1100oC respectively. The grade of the concentrate and tailing is
66.42% and 11.85% respectively, whereas the recovery and yield was 93.53% and 72.08%
respectively.

Key Words: Banded Hematite Quartz (BHQ), Reduction Roasting, Non-Coking Coal
(Reductant) and Magnetic Separation
1. Introduction

The availability of untouched, abundant remains of low grade banded type’s iron ore deposits
are categorized as wastes resources in many parts of the world, especially in India. Hence, the
economical utilization of these waste resources can eradicate the crises of targeted steel
production in the forthcoming years. The banded iron ore formations are chemically
precipitated enigmatic rocks consist of interchanged iron-rich and iron-poor (amorphous
silica rich) layers. The iron content of these ores averagely ranges between 30wt%-40wt% Fe
and in some cases goes up to 55-65wt% because of supergene enrichment. The BHQ iron ore
deposits contribute iron values around 35-40wt% Fe, and major impurities 40-45wt% SiO2,
and 0.5-2.5wt% Al2O3. Because of low Fe and high SiO2 content; banded type hematite ores
cannot be treated by traditional mineral processing methodology due to its complexity, high
dissemination of the valuable minerals and nonmagnetic property. Hence producing an
desired grade by maximizing the iron recovery and yield for a difficult to process iron ore is
possible by reduction roasting followed magnetic separation using various types of reductants
has become the focus of research.
Reduction roasting process is use to convert weakly magnetic minerals to magnetic mineral
by roasting in a reduced atmosphere at elevated temperature i.e., ≥6000C and below these
conditions the transformations tends to be incomplete [1]. The phase transformation of iron
ore begins with the free moisture removal around 1200C-1400C, while about 3-4.5% water
resist thermal treatment and vaporizes at about 10000C [2]. The phase change of hematite
from goethite takes place through de-hydroxylation during reduction roasting, near 2000C-
4000C resulting in expansion and crack formation up to 20% of the particle diameter [3]. The
reduction of hematite to magnetite starts at temperature around 2000C and 2500C, followed
by reduction of magnetite to wustite, temperature ranging between 5000C and 9000C and
lastly wustite to iron around 9000C and 13000C [4]. At room temperature magnetite has an
inverse spinel structure and is ferromagnetic at room temperature, whereas hematite has a
corundum structure and is weakly ferromagnetic and wustite has a sodium chloride like
structure and paramagnetic [2].
Above 8430K, the reduction follows a series of stepwise reduction reaction (Fe2O3→
Fe3O4→FeO→ Fe) [5-6]. The overall reaction taking place for the transition of Fe2O3 to
Fe3O4 by reduction roasting using CO/C as reductive is as follows:

3 Fe2O3 + CO = 2 Fe3O4 + CO2; ΔG° = - 14270－9.81 T (Cal) ----------------- (01)

2. Raw material
The banded type iron ore (BHQ) used in the present work was collected from one of the
iron ore deposits of India. The iron ore sample was crushed to -10mm particle size using
laboratory roll crusher for the experimental studies. The physical appearance suggests that
the iron ore sample is banded type of varying alternative bands; thickness ranging from 01-
02cms to few millimeters, contributing black and red bands alternatively. Also, the ore was
hard and massive in appearance.
The reductant used for reduction roasting is non-coking coal. The coal samples were
collected from the Hingula region of Talcher coal deposit, Odisha, India. The sample was
passed through the roll crusher and screened to get the product size (-6mm +3mm). The
proximate analysis of the non-coking coal is shown in the Table 01.
 Table 01 Proximate analysis of the non-coking coal sample (-6mm +3mm).

Proximate Moisture Volatile Ash Fixed

Analysis matter Carbon
Composition (%) 54.73% 6.03% 6.62% 7.94%

3. Experimental Method

The investigations were carried out to avail optimum conditions based on the iron recovery
from the low grade iron ore sample. Also, the minerals phase transformations were
investigated for better understanding of phase conversion taking place at different conditions.
The raw iron ore sample and non-coking coal were mixed thoroughly and put in a high
quality refractory crucible covered with a lid to avoid undesired side reactions at higher
temperatures. The reduction roasting was carried out in a muffle furnace. The Fig. 1 shows
the step wise procedure for carrying out the magnetizing roasting studies. After reaching the
pre-set temperature and roasting
time, the roasted sample were
left in the airtight furnace to be
cooled to below 3000C in order
to avoid side reactions i.e., there
might be chances that the roasted
sample i.e., the artificial
magnetite gets oxidized to the
surrounding atm. resulting in
formation of hematite around
5000C. After cooling the roasted
sample was separated by a dry
magnetic separator in order to
remove the undesired materials
form the newly formed artificial
magnetite. The product obtained
is grounded to below -45µm
particle size, using wet milling in a laboratory ball mill. The grounded sample was passed
through a low intensity magnetic separator. The grade of the magnetic concentrate was
analysed to determine the extent of iron recovery from the raw ore sample. For better
understanding of the phase transformations the roasted sample and the final product samples
were investigated using XRD, chemistry method, and optical microscopy respectively.
4. Results and Discussion
The sample collected from the mining region of India, contributing varying sizes i.e., from
few centimeters to millimeters. The sample was crushed by lab scale roll crusher to product
size of -10mm.The Table 2 showing the result of chemical compositions of the head sample
(-10mm), contributing iron values of 47.15% Fe, and other gangue minerals such as 28.31%
SiO2, 1.65% Al2O3 in the head sample. The result clearly shows the impurities level is high
mainly contributed by quartz and also the LOI is 01.36 respectively.
 Table 2 Chemical composition of the BHQ Bulk Sample (-10mm).
Components T Fe SiO2 Al2O3 LOI Na2O P2O5 TiO2 CaO K2O MnO2
Wt. % 47.15 28.31 1.65 1.36 0.03 0.06 0.13 0.09 0.04 0.3

The XRD analysis of raw iron ore sample is shown in the Fig.2. Some of the valuable
mineral phases of iron existed in the feed sample are hematite (H) and goethite (Go). The
other impurities present are gibbsite (Gi), quartz (Q), and kaolinite (K) respectively. The
high intensity peaks of hematite and quartz suggest that the ore predominantly contributes
major portion of it. The Fig.3 showing the hematite grains predomiantly distributed all over
the surface of the ore, resembling a massive structure by means of optical microscopy for
the raw iron ore fraction.

Fig. 2. XRD pattern of iorn ore head sample. Fig. 3. Optical image of raw iron ore sample.

Fig. 4. Size distribution of ore sample. Fig. 5. Effect of roasting temp. on iron recovery.

After crushing the head sample to -10mm size; the particle size analysis was done by wet
sieving method, into 13 different sizes, (+6000µm to -45µm) as shown in the Fig. 4. The ore
sample contains 13.52% of particles finer than -45µm and 62.09% of the particles coarser
than 1000µm. Therefore, the head sample is a mixture of particles of variable size, from finer
(-45µm) to coarse (+6000µm). The size analysis shows almost uniform distribution of the
Fe% grade i.e., almost plus or minus 1-2% range of the head sample. Hence, the sample
liberation dissemination may take place at very fine size that cannot be beneficiated using
traditional mineral separation methods.
As roasting temperature plays a vital role in iron recovery from the given raw iron ore
sample. The reduction roasting temperatures was selected as 7000C – 11000C; the sample is
mixture of non-coking coal and raw iron ore in the ratio of 1:6. The sample is roasted to a
pre-set temperature for a period of 15min. residence time. The roasted sample after dry
magnetic separation is grounded to below -45µm by wet milling followed by low intensity
magnetic separation.
From the Fig. 5, with the increase in the roasting temperature the iron recovery and yield
values increases from initial 45.71% to 93.53% and 39.45% to 72.08%. The products
obtained in each case was having consistent grade value >64.0%, that is desirable for further
downstream processing. While at the initial roasting temperature at 7000C, the recovery and
the yield percentage was almost negligible due to limited reaction rate. At the elevated
temperature i.e., ≥9500C there still iron losses in the tailing stream mostly due to wustite
formation while over reduction of the sample during roasting conditions. The optimum
conditions were found to be at 11000C, showing the grade and recovery rate were both high.

Fig. 6. Optical images of a roasted sample at 7500C(A), 8500C(B), and 11000C(C). The
results shows the hematite phase tranformation to magnetite gradually, till the complete phase
tranformation attained due to heating effect.
The formation of magnetite from goethite and hematite mineral phases is studied using the
optical microscopy. The microscopic images of reduced products roasted at different
tempertaures are shown in Fig. 6, series. The figure (6A) the magnetized roasted ore fraction
showing hematite (H) and magnetite (M) being formed from goethite (Go). The figure (6B)
the magnetized roasted ore fraction showing enchanced transformation of hematite to
magentite (M) with development of cracks. The figure (6C) the magnetized roasted ore
fraction showing formation of magnetite (M) with large voids and cracks. The XRD patterns
of the roasted samples at 11000C helps in better understanding of the mineral phase
tranformations as shown in the Fig. 7. The roasted sample showing the high intensity peaks
of magnetite and moderate peak of hematite and lower intensity peaks of quartz. Where as the
the magnetic concentrate sample showing the predominant high intensity peaks of
magnetite,but still remains of unconverted hematite phase along with the gangue mineral
quartz. The non-magnteic portion showing the predominant peaks of quartz, also reamins of
 the iron mineral phases. The valuable mineral phases found misplaced in the tailing may be
due to its low dissemination value and viceversa.

5. Results and disscusion

 The optimized results were found to be at 11000C roasting tempertaure, the recovery
and yield found to be 93.53% and 72.08%; the product grade i.e., TFe is >64%.

 The reduction roasting showing promising results compared to the convetional

methods used to recover the iron values from the lean grade complex ores.

 The grade of the product also very much apt for the downstream process in making of
iron and steel.

References
1. Li, C., Sun, H., Bai, J. and Li, L. 2010. Innovative methodology for comprehensive utilization of iron ore
tailings part 1. The recovery of iron from iron ore tailings using magnetic separation after magnetizing
roasting, J. Hazard. Mater., 174, 71–77.
2. Hayes, P.C., 2003. Process principles in minerals and materials production. Hayes Publishing, Sherwood,
QLD, Australia.
3. Iwasaki, I. and Prasad, M. S. 1989. Processing techniques for difficult-to treat ores by combining chemical
metallurgy and mineral processing, Miner. Process. Ext. Metall. (Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. C), 4, 243–245.
4. Strezov, V., Evans, T. J., Zymla, V. and Strezov, L. 2011. Structural deterioration of iron ore particles
during thermal processing, Int. J. Miner. Process., 100, 27–32.
5. M. Bahgat and M.H. Khedr, Reduction kinetics, magnetic behavior and morphological changes during
reduction of magnetite single crystal, Mater. Sci. Eng. B, 138(2007), p. 251.
6. Y.F. Chang, X.J. Zhai, Y. Fu, L.Z. Ma, B.C. Li, and T.A. Zhang, Phase transformation in reductive roasting
of laterite ore with microwave heating, Trans. Nonferrous Met.Soc. China, 18(2008), p. 969.