Pre-concentration of quartz from sea sand through superconducting high gradient magnetic separation technology

Abstract

In this study, a superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (S-HGMS) technology was used to separate and extract quartz from sea sand. Under optimal conditions (i.e., a magnetic flow ratio of 0.085 T·s/m, slurry flow velocity of 400 ml/min, and pulp concentration of 40 g/L), the SiO₂ grade increased from 79.45% of the raw material to 91.35% of quartz concentrate, and the removal rate of Al and Fe reached 91.97% and 82.10%, respectively. Weakly magnetic particles in sea sand were selectively transformed to tailings, and the pre-concentration of quartz was achieved under a high magnetic field intensity. The high magnetic field intensity and mineral magnetic differences were the critical factors influencing the magnetic separation of quartz from sea sand. The S-HGMS technology achieved effective pre-concentration of quartz from sea sand, reducing the handling capacity and providing a high-quality material for subsequent quartz refinement processes.