DESCRIPTION

Technical Description

During sorting, a solid compound is separated according to its material characteristics.

Magnetic separation is a method of sorting which utilises the magnetisability of components of a solid compound. Magnetic separators are often used in coal and ore preparation.

In the CE 280, the solid compound to be separated is charged into the feed hopper. A vibrating trough conveys the compound onto a rotating, non-magnetic drum. Its speed can be adjusted by way of a potentiometer. In one area of the drum there is a fixed permanent magnet. Non-magnetisable components drop into a collector tank due to gravity. Magnetisable components adhere to the drum in the area of the magnet, are carried along and drop into a different tank as soon as they are beyond the magnetic zone. The mass flow of the feed material can be adjusted by way of the distance of the hopper outlet from the vibrating trough and by the throw and frequency of the trough. A mixture of sand and small steel items, such as hexagon nuts, is recommended for use as the feed material.

The well-structured instructional material sets out the fundamentals and provides a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

Learning Objectives / Experiments

- learning the fundamental principle and the method of operation of a drum-type magnetic separator
- efficiency of separation process dependent on
  * mass flow of feed material
  * mixing ratio of feed material
  * type of feed material
  * drum rotation speed