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How are magnetite and ferrosilicon recycled after heavy-media separation?
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mineral processing
Schematic diagram of a flotation separation cell.
In heavy-media separation, magnetite and ferrosilicon are used to create a dense suspension that allows valuable minerals to sink while lighter gangue particles float. To maintain efficiency and reduce costs, these media are recovered from the tailings and recycled back into the process. This recovery is achieved through magnetic separation, which effectively isolates the magnetic magnetite or ferrosilicon particles from the non-magnetic waste material.1