What are the Bauxite Beneficiation Equipment?

Bauxite refers to the ore composed primarily of gibbsite and boehmite, which is used for the production of aluminum. Bauxite is the best raw material for producing metallic aluminum and is the most significant application field, accounting for more than 90% of the world’s total bauxite production. The application of bauxite spans both metal and non-metal fields. Although its use in non-metals accounts for a smaller share, it has a wide range of applications. The Mohs hardness is between 2.5 and 3.5.

Bauxite beneficiation equipment is crucial for efficient separation and extraction of alumina. The process mainly includes crushing, grinding, beneficiation, and dewatering stages. The functions and characteristics of the equipment in each stage are as follows:

Crushing Stage: Preliminary Processing of Ore Granularity

Core goal: Crush the raw ore to the appropriate size range for grinding.

Jaw Crusher

• Function: Primary crushing equipment, processes large chunks of ore.
• Principle: Breaks ore by the compression and splitting action between the moving and stationary jaws.
• Features: Simple and reliable structure, suitable for ores with higher hardness.

Cone Crusher

• Function: Main equipment for medium and fine crushing.
• Principle: Uses the principle of compression and lamination between the moving and fixed cones to break the ore particles.
• Features: Large processing capacity, uniform product size, suitable for large-scale production.

Grinding Stage: Refining Ore to Required Particle Size for Beneficiation

Core goal: Grind the crushed ore to a micron-sized particle level, exposing useful minerals and gangue.

Ball Mill

• Principle: Steel balls inside the cylinder generate impact and grinding forces to crush the ore.
• Suitable Scenario: Fine grinding, especially suitable for hard ores.
• Advantages: High grinding efficiency, adjustable steel ball ratio for different materials.

Rod Mill

• Principle: Steel rods act as grinding media, achieving selective grinding through line contact.
• Suitable Scenario: Applications requiring uniform particle size and avoiding over-grinding (e.g., high-grade ore processing).
• Advantages: Narrow product particle size distribution, high mineral liberation.

Beneficiation Stage: Accurate Separation Based on Mineral Properties

Core goal: Select appropriate equipment according to the bauxite type (e.g., gibbsite or boehmite) and impurity characteristics.

Flotation Equipment (Mainly for Gibbsite Type)

• Mechanical Agitation Flotation Machine
  • Principle: The impeller rotates to generate agitation and aeration, mixing minerals with reagents to attach hydrophobic minerals to bubbles and float.
• Air-Injection Flotation Machine
  • Principle: External air is injected to generate bubbles, providing low energy consumption and uniform bubble distribution, suitable for oxidized ore sorting.

Magnetic Separation Equipment (For Weakly Magnetic Minerals)

• High Gradient Magnetic Separator
  • Principle: Utilizes a strong magnetic field gradient to capture weakly magnetic minerals (e.g., impurities containing titanium or iron), improving concentrate grade.

Gravity Separation Equipment (For Low-Grade Ore Enrichment)

• Spiral Chute / Shaking Table
  • Principle: Separates minerals based on differences in density under water flow or vibration.

Dewatering Stage: Solid-Liquid Separation and Drying of Products

Core goal: Reduce the water content of minerals to meet subsequent smelting or transportation requirements.

Thickener

• Function: Utilizes gravity sedimentation to achieve initial solid-liquid separation and increase slurry concentration.

Filter Equipment

• Vacuum Filter: Uses vacuum suction to remove moisture, suitable for fine slurry.
• Plate and Frame Filter Press: Uses pressure to trap solids on filter cloths, providing high dewatering efficiency and low moisture content in the filter cake.

Dryer

• Rotary Drum Dryer: Hot gas flows countercurrent to the ore material, transferring heat to remove residual moisture and ensuring stable production capacity.

Main Uses

Bauxite ore has diverse uses:

Aluminum Production: It is used in the defense, aerospace, automotive, electrical, chemical, and everyday products industries.

Precision Casting: They process bauxite clinker into fine powder to make molds for precision casting, using it in military, aerospace, telecommunications, instruments, machinery, and medical equipment.

Refractory Products: High-alumina clinker has a melting point up to 1780°C, strong chemical stability, and good physical properties.

Alumina Silicate Refractory Fibers: These fibers are lightweight, high-temperature resistant, thermally stable, have low thermal conductivity, low heat capacity, and are resistant to mechanical vibration. They are used in steel, non-ferrous metallurgy, electronics, petroleum, chemical, aerospace, atomic energy, and defense industries.

The process involves melting high-alumina clinker in an electric arc furnace at a temperature of about 2000-2200°C, followed by blowing with high-pressure air or steam, resulting in “cotton” – alumina silicate refractory fibers. They can compress these into fiber mats, boards, or weave them into fabric for high-temperature furnace linings.

Magnesium Sand and Bauxite Clinker: Mixed with suitable binders, they are used for pouring steel ladle linings.

Bauxite Cement: Used in grinding materials, ceramics, and the chemical industry to make various aluminum compounds.

Epic Powder

Epic Powder’s advanced grinding and beneficiation equipment plays a vital role in enhancing the efficiency and quality of bauxite ore processing. With its expertise in ultrafine grinding and separation technologies, Epic Powder helps industries achieve optimal extraction of alumina, improving the overall performance of bauxite beneficiation.