Application of immiscible magnetic liquids of different densities as the separation medium for magnetic liquid separation

Abstract

Results of an investigation into a new method of magnetic liquid separation, which differs from known ones by the presence of a bilayer separation medium in the form of immiscible ferromagnetic liquids of different densities, are presented. During the separation in a bilayer medium, the equilibrium condition of a particle on a flat surface, which is written according to the Young law and Neumann rule, should be supplemented by the linear tension of a curve-phase interface surface. The linear tension is the force and energy barrier, which prevents fastening of small particles of precious metals at the phase interface, and the cause of their effective separation into a heavy fraction. The method of magnetic liquid separation is tested for concentrates containing platinum group metals. It is established that, during the separation in the bilayer medium, the recovery of platinum group metals into the heavy fraction is 25.89%, while that for the waterbased ferromagnetic liquid is 19.73%. The quality of the heavy fraction makes gives the opportunity to direct it to the hydrometallurgical stage bypassing the copper plant, which increases the recovery of precious metals by 5.0 abs %.