Due to recent market events, magnetite costs have more than tripled which has driven the U. S. coal industry costs upward to approximately $42 million annually. In response to concerns regarding cost and future supply, a study has been performed to evaluate the potential of alternative materials that can be used to generate a dense medium. Under certain conditions, each of the materials tested provided separation efficiencies that meet industrial standards including probable error values of around 0.03. Dense medium derived from the non-magnetite sources achieved organic efficiency values exceeding the 95% level over a medium density range from 1.3RD to 1.6RD with lower than normal density offsets. Lower cost, coarse magnetite provided excellent separation efficiencies when medium density values above 1.6RD are sufficient to meet product grade requirements.
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