Wet High-Intensity Magnetic Separators (WHIMS) for Recovering Iron from Tailings Deposited in Dams

Iron ore tailings dams at Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, are full and present significant risks. The material contains approximately 30% of the iron, and recovering this iron is important in decreasing the environmental impact and increasing production. The objective of the present work was to study magnetic concentration of processing plant tailings. Pilot tests optimized the processing configuration, but the planned iron grade was only possible with cleaning stages. Industrial tests were configured into three concentration stages (rougher, cleaner, and recleaner), and obtained a 63% iron grade concentrate representing a mass recovery of around 15%.