Titanium Ore Magnetic Separation for Ilmenite & Magnetic Mineral Removal

There is no single universal ilmenite separator. The correct route depends on mineral assemblage, magnetic response, particle size, liberation, dry or wet feed condition and the required product split. Strongly magnetic fractions can often be removed first, while direct ilmenite recovery may require representative testing and evaluation of a higher-intensity or higher-gradient separation class.

Sometimes, but not by assumption. A permanent drum can be appropriate for strongly magnetic fraction removal and selected mineral-recovery duties. Direct ilmenite recovery should be checked against the real ore, liberation, particle size, working distance and magnetic response before a conventional drum is approved.

Ilmenite is magnetic enough to be treated as a weaker or paramagnetic mineral in many beneficiation decisions, but it responds much less strongly than magnetite. Practical response varies with composition, intergrowth, particle size and liberation, so the actual ore should control separator selection.

Rutile is not normally the mineral directly captured by conventional magnetic separation. In rutile-bearing feeds, magnetic separation is more commonly used to remove or stage accompanying magnetic minerals so the non-magnetic or less-magnetic fraction can be treated by the next beneficiation step.

In many titanium-bearing ores, removing a strongly magnetic magnetite or titanomagnetite fraction first can simplify downstream treatment of the titanium-bearing fraction. The exact sequence still depends on mineralogy, liberation and the required concentrate and tailings products.

Neither route is universally better. Dry separation depends heavily on moisture, feed presentation, burden depth and particle behavior. Wet separation depends on slurry concentration, flow, classification, tank geometry and magnetic discharge. Start from the existing beneficiation circuit and real feed condition.

No. Gauss describes magnetic flux density at a defined measurement point. Recovery also depends on field gradient, working distance, mineral response, liberation, particle size, feed presentation, residence time, discharge geometry and the test method.

Magnetic separation acts on particles, not theoretical mineral phases. If ilmenite remains locked with gangue, a composite particle may report to the wrong product or reduce concentrate quality. Grinding and classification may therefore matter more than simply increasing magnetic strength.

Provide the ore type and source, assay or mineralogy if available, target mineral or contaminant, particle-size distribution, feed condition, normal and peak capacity, existing flowsheet, installation drawing or available space, and the result you need the separation stage to achieve.

Corvelan offers magnetic separation material testing when the real material response or process result cannot be judged responsibly from a catalog specification alone. The representative sample, test question, acceptance metric and operating conditions should be defined before the result is used for the next equipment decision.