Mining solutions provider MBE Minerals South Africa reports that its minerals separation system, the Jones wet high intensity magnetic separator (WHIMS), has been well received locally, adding that about 200 models of varying sizes have been installed worldwide.

The Jones WHIMS unit, which provides high-level throughput and is complemented by reduced maintenance and lower energy consumption, is suitable for treating feebly magnetic minerals with a particle range of 20 μm to 1 mm.

The separator is also used to produce a magnetic concentrate when the magnetic mineral is the required product. Examples of the magnetic products include heavy minerals hematite, ilmenite, manganese, tungsten, zinc, nickel and molybdenum.

The Jones WHIMS also upgrades required products by removing impurities when a nonmagnetic mineral is the required element. Examples include clay, talc, kaolin, feldspar, coal, fluorspar and bauxite.

In addition, the separator is used to aid in preconcentration for additional treatment through a different process, such as scaveng-ing from subgrade deposits of uranium, gold, platinum, chromium, manganese and iron tailings, as well as slags or residues.

Providing a high-gradient magnetic field of up to 15 000 Gauss – depending on gap width and rotor diameter – with an attractively low energy consumption, the Jones WHIMS achieves separation in three steps.

Firstly, magnetic particles contained in the slurry from the distribution bins flow through feed hoses and boxes into the grooved plate boxes. They are attracted by pole plates within the magnetic field, while the nonmagnetic particles pass straight through into the launder boxes below.

Then, the magnetic particles are washed to release any entrained particles. This results in a middlings product, which collects in a separate launder underneath each rotor. In the final step, the magnetic particles are scoured in the neutral zone to yield the magnetic product.

MBE Minerals reports that there are five different Jones WHIMS models available for varying throughput rates from 180 t/h to 500 kg/h, for laboratory and pilot tests.