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Full Strategy for Tungsten Ore Processing Equipment Configuration: Process Flow and Key Equipment Selection Guide for Black/White Tungsten Ore
This article analyzes tungsten processing, detailing equipment configurations for crushing, grinding, separation, and dewatering. It covers selection strategies for jigs, shakers, and flotation cells based on ore type. Using case studies, it demonstrates how "more crushing, less grinding" and precise separation improve recovery and cut energy use, offering professional solutions for mining enterprises.
Apr 15th,202626 Views
At 3 a.m., the beneficiation workshop of a tungsten mine in Ganzhou, China, was still brightly lit. Old Zhang stood beside the ball mill, his brow furrowed — the grade of the raw ore delivered today had dropped again, but the energy consumption of the grinding process was 15% higher than last month. "If we could pick out the waste rock in advance and precisely control the grinding particle size, we wouldn't be so passive," he sighed.
For tungsten ore beneficiation enterprises, Old Zhang's trouble is not an isolated case. With the grade of tungsten ore resources declining year by year and environmental protection requirements becoming increasingly stringent, how to scientifically allocate beneficiation equipment, while reducing energy consumption and improving recovery rates, has become a common challenge faced by the industry.
This article will combine the pain points of front-line production and systematically analyze the core equipment that must be configured in the beneficiation process of tungsten ore, providing practical configuration ideas for mining enterprises.
Tungsten Ore Beneficiation Process and Equipment Configuration
1. Crushing and Screening Stage: Adhere to the "More Crushing, Less Grinding" Principle
Crushing and screening equipment serves as the first checkpoint in the beneficiation process, directly determining the efficiency of subsequent operations. Reducing the particle size entering the mill and pre-removing waste rock are key to reducing energy consumption.
Jaw Crusher: Responsible for coarse crushing, it needs to crush the raw ore to a particle size of 150-200mm. Its simple structure and stable operation can accommodate tungsten ores of various hardness.
Cone Crusher/ Hammer Mill: Responsible for medium and fine crushing, it can further refine the ore to 10-25mm.
Vibrating Screen: Responsible for classification screening, it forms a closed-loop with the crusher to effectively avoid over-crushing, improve screening efficiency, and provide uniformly sized raw materials for subsequent grinding operations.
Customer Case: A tungsten mine in China optimized the crushing and screening parameters, strictly implemented the "More Crushing, Less Grinding" process, reducing the particle size entering the mill from 15mm to 10mm, and the proportion of fine particles (-0.074mm) from 35% to 28%, significantly reducing the energy consumption of subsequent grinding operations.
2. Grinding Stage: Achieving Monomer Liberation of Minerals
Grinding and classification equipment is the core link for achieving monomer liberation of minerals, and the equipment should be selected based on the particle size distribution of the ore. According to the data of the China Mining Association in 2023, classification grinding technology can reduce energy consumption by 12%-20%.
Ball Mill: Grid-type ball mill (such as MQG2400×3600) can grind the ore to -200 mesh accounting for 80%, ensuring the full liberation of tungsten minerals, especially suitable for fine-grained disseminated white tungsten ore.
Rod Mill: Using steel rods as the grinding medium, it is more suitable for black tungsten ore, with the characteristic of selective crushing of large particles, which can effectively reduce over-grinding and mudification.
Spiral Classifier: Composed with a ball mill to form a closed-circuit grinding system, it can timely separate out qualified fine-grained products, avoid over-grinding and mudification, and ensure the particle size stability of the grinding products.
Hydrocyclone: Separates the fine-grained and coarse-grained fractions in the slurry through centrifugal force, with the fine-grained fraction discharged from the overflow and the coarse-grained fraction returned to the grinding circuit. It has a significant effect on the treatment of ore mud before white tungsten ore flotation, which can effectively improve the flotation efficiency.
Customer Case: A black tungsten mine in China achieved a monomer liberation degree of 85% and the concentrate WO₃ grade was improved to 45% through the closed-loop process of "rod mill + spiral classifier".
3. The Beneficiation Stage: Precise Configuration of Core Equipment
Sorting equipment needs to be precisely configured according to the characteristics of the ore (black tungsten, white tungsten, mixed ore).
1) Black tungsten ore: High density (7.1-7.5g/cm³), gravity separation as the main method, magnetic separation as the auxiliary
Jig machine: Suitable for processing 3-5mm coarse-grained ore, with high processing capacity and sorting efficiency, able to quickly separate coarse-grained black tungsten concentrate.
6-S Shaking Table: Used for the concentration of 0.5-3mm medium-fine grained minerals, with high selectivity, capable of obtaining high-grade black tungsten concentrate.
Spiral Chute: Suitable for the recovery of -2mm fine-grained minerals, effectively recovering fine-grained black tungsten minerals.
Magnetic Separator: Wet high-intensity magnetic separator (magnetic field strength 800-1600kA/m) is used to remove magnetic impurities and improve the purity of the concentrate.
Customer Case: A black tungsten mine in China adopts the combined process of "jig + shaking table + magnetic separation", the WO₃ grade of concentrate is increased from 20% to 55%, and the recovery rate remains stable above 92%.
2) White Tungsten Ore: Flotation as the core, gravity separation pretreatment
White tungsten ore often occurs with calcite and fluorite, with similar surface properties, and flotation equipment must be used.
Flotation Machine: BF and SF flotation machines achieve mineral separation through bubble adsorption. Temperature-resistant flotation machines combined with the "Petrov heating method" can raise the concentrate grade to over 65%, solving the problem of difficult separation between tungsten white ore and gangue minerals.
Agitator Tank: Ensures full interaction between reagents and slurry, adjusts slurry concentration.
Jig Machine: Used for gravity separation pretreatment, pre-recovering coarse-grained tungsten white ore, reducing the flotation load.
Customer Case: A white tungsten ore factory in China adopts the "jig pre-selection + flotation" process, increasing the concentrate WO₃ grade from 10% to 60%, and reducing the reagent cost by 30%.
3) Mixed Tungsten Ore: Combined Gravity Separation and Flotation Process
Mixed tungsten ore requires a combination of gravity separation and flotation equipment, first recovering black tungsten through gravity separation, then recovering white tungsten through flotation, achieving the coordinated recovery of black and white tungsten, and improving resource utilization.
4. Dewatering Stage: Balancing Environmental Protection and Benefits
Dewatering equipment is the final stage of the beneficiation process, directly affecting product quality and transportation costs.
Thickener: Used for slurry concentration, reducing the load on subsequent dewatering equipment and lowering dewatering costs.
Filter Press/Dryer: Completes the final dewatering operation, reducing the concentrate moisture content to below 10%, meeting transportation and smelting requirements, and ensuring the stability of concentrate quality.
Common Questions and Answers about Tungsten Ore Dressing Equipment (FAQ)
1. What are the differences in the configuration of black tungsten and white tungsten ore dressing equipment?
Black tungsten has a high density (7.1-7.5g/cm³) and mainly requires the configuration of gravity separation equipment (shaking table, spiral chute); white tungsten often occurs with calcite and fluorite, and it is necessary to configure flotation equipment, and it may require temperature-resistant flotation machines for temperature-controlled selection.
2. Why is heating equipment needed for white tungsten flotation?
White tungsten has similar surface properties to calcite and fluorite, and it is difficult to effectively separate them at room temperature. Heating to 80-90℃ can cause the collector to desorb from the gangue surface, while the collector on the white tungsten surface remains stable, thus achieving efficient separation, with the concentrate grade able to be increased from 20% to over 65%.
3. What factors should be considered when configuring tungsten ore dressing equipment?
Mainly consider the ore type (black tungsten, white tungsten, mixed ore), particle size distribution, associated mineral composition, and processing scale. It is recommended to conduct ore dressing tests first, configure equipment scientifically based on the test results, and avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach. There are significant differences in geological conditions among different mines, so it is recommended to entrust professional institutions to conduct ore dressing tests.
4. How to avoid over-milling in the grinding process?
By configuring a spiral classifier and ball mill to form a closed-circuit grinding system, qualified fine-grained products can be separated in time; at the same time, the grinding concentration and grinding time should be reasonably controlled to avoid excessive grinding of ore and reduce the generation of sludge.
5. How to solve the problem of over-fining in tungsten ore?
Firstly, adopt the "more crushing and less grinding" process, optimize the number of crushing stages (such as three-stage crushing + high-frequency screen); secondly, choose rod mill to replace some ball mills, reduce the generation of fine particles; thirdly, control the grinding time, and grind the black tungsten ore to -200 mesh for 60%-70%.
The scientific configuration scheme for tungsten ore beneficiation equipment is the key to improving beneficiation benefits. Beneficiation enterprises should, according to the nature of the ore (such as the difference between black tungsten ore and white tungsten ore), process requirements (gravity separation/froth flotation), and environmental protection requirements, significantly improve the grade and recovery rate of the concentrate through optimized equipment selection and parameter control, creating higher value for the enterprise.
Finally, for equipment selection consultation or process optimization solutions, please contact the Changyi Mining Machinery technical team.
