Evaluating the possibility for coal-containing waste of West Siberian Iron-and-Steel Works sludge storage to be involved in processing

The purpose of the study is investigate the possibility to obtain liquid concentration products (iron-containing and coal-containing concentrates) from the material of mature coal washing tailings. The study of the material composition of the original mature tailings was carried out using mineralogical, granulometric and chemical analyses. Technological tests were conducted according to the gravitational-magnetic concentration scheme. The spiral separator was chosen to be the main concentration equipment. Upgrading operation involved the use of wet magnetic separation. As a result, rough gravity concentrate with a mass fraction of total iron of 25.3 % was obtained. The product yield was 29.62 % with 53.15 % extraction of a valuable component into it. The output of the obtained coal-containing concentrate was 70.38 %, its ash content equaled 31.7 %. Having upgraded the primary gravity concentrate with the use of the wet magnetic separation method we obtained an iron-containing concentrate. The product yield was 0.44 % with 1.97 % extraction of a valuable component into it. The mass fraction of total iron was 63.29 %. Therefore, the article has demonstrated the potential possibility for mature tailings of coal cleaning to be involved in the processing with the production of marketable products such as iron-containing concentrate and secondary fuel in the form of coal concentrate using environmentally friendly technology, at low energy costs and without additional production costs.

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