PARTICLE SEPARATION IN METHOD FOR RECOVERING MAGNETITE FROM BAUXITE RESIDUE

摘要

A method of recovering magnetite from bauxite residue, comprising reducing the pH of the bauxite residue to form a treated bauxite residue, drying the treated bauxite residue, adding to and mixing into the treated bauxite residue a solid source of carbon, to create a mixture, heating the mixture to a reduction temperature of at least 800° C. in a reducing reactor to produce a reduced bauxite residue in which a major portion of Fe2O3 present in the treated bauxite residue has been converted to Fe3O4, exposing the reduced bauxite residue to a particle separation step, and then separating the reduced bauxite residue into an iron-enriched portion and an iron-depleted portion.