Spiral chutes treating heavy mineral sand

Zircon and titanium: four separation principles in one plant

Heavy mineral sands need gravity, magnetic and electrostatic separation in series, because the valuable minerals differ in density, magnetic susceptibility and conductivity.

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Process route

The order matters. Roughing by gravity concentrates the heavy fraction, then magnetic and electrostatic stages split it into individual mineral products.

Washing and screening

Removal of slimes and oversize from the sand feed.

Spiral roughing

Spiral chutes concentrate the heavy mineral fraction and reject the bulk of the quartz.

Magnetic separation

Ilmenite and other magnetic titanium minerals are recovered magnetically.

Gravity and electrostatic separation

Zircon is recovered by combined gravity and electrostatic separation, which also splits conductive from non-conductive minerals.

Product finishing

Individual concentrates of ilmenite, zircon, rutile and monazite are dewatered and dried.

Equipment in this circuit

Manufactured at our own bases and matched to the circuit capacity, not bought package by package.

Trommel screen

Washing and scrubbing of clay bearing and alluvial feed.

Spiral chute

Roughing duty on heavy mineral sands and alluvial deposits.

Shaking table

Fine gravity separation for gold, tungsten, tin and heavy mineral sands.

Magnetic separator

Wet and dry drum, high intensity and high gradient separators.

Dry magnetic separator

Dry drum separation for pre-concentration and iron removal.

Filter press

Plate and frame and membrane presses for concentrate and tailings dewatering.

Reference projects

Figures are those reported for these projects in the Xinhai project and test brochures.

Sri Lanka

Zircon and titanium sand separation test programme

Test work

Shandong, China

2,000 t/d zircon and titanium plant recovering ilmenite, zircon, rutile and monazite

Plant scope

Shandong, China

1 Mt/a zircon and titanium project

Plant scope

Common questions

Magnetic first or gravity first?

Test work decides. On one Shandong zircon and titanium programme, magnetic separation ahead of gravity separation gave a higher rare earth oxide recovery than the reverse order.

Which products can be recovered?

Ilmenite, zircon, rutile and monazite have all been recovered in Xinhai programmes on heavy mineral sands, with the split depending on the deposit.

Is electrostatic separation always required?

It is the standard method for separating conductive minerals such as rutile and ilmenite from non-conductive zircon, so it usually appears in the finishing circuit.

Send the assay and the tonnage target for your Zircon and titanium project.

We start with test work on your sample, then size the circuit around the result. Tell us where the project stands and what you need next.