What is the basic principle of magnetic drum separation?
Magnetic separator is mainly used for separating various minerals such as ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, precious metals, non-metals. When the magnetic separator is working, minerals with stronger magnetism will be absorbed to the strong magnetic field while non-magnetic minerals would be discharged from the discharge port along another trajectory.
Magnetic separator also can separate non-metal ores
Two types of magnetic drum separators
Magnetic drum separator can be divided into two types: one is dry magnetic separator, the other is wet magnetic separator. The dry magnetic separator is designed for material with 2 to 200 millimeters which is in dry or nearly dry state like crushed iron ore. The wet drum magnetic separator is suitable for the ores with a few micrometer size to less than around 6 - 8 millimeters suspended in water.
The two types of magnetic separators both can effectively process various minerals
Dry magnetic drum dry separator
Dry magnetic separators are mainly for separating dry magnetic minerals. One of its models is a permanent magnetic drum separator that installing a rare earth roll (RE Roll). Rare earth roll is one of the world’s highest-intensity and can separate strong and weak magnetic material from non-magnetic material in a dry state.
Materials and structures of dry magnetic drum separator
It mainly consists of a permanent magnet system, a rotating drum (with single and double drum), a magnetic separator mine-separating box, a feed tank, and a flushing pipe.
The rotary drum is made of 2mm thick fiberglass which is to avoid the over-heat of the drum body and the increase of the motor power caused by the vortex effect.
The permanent magnet system is made of high-quality ferrite or composite including ferrite material and rare earth magnetic steel. The average magnetic induction intensity of the drum surface is at the range of 100~600mt.
Rare earth magnetic drum separator processes iron ore in India
This Indian customer needs to process iron ore sand, so he bought a two-roller dry magnetic separator, and the following is the detail of every step:
First, the electric vibration feeder sends the iron ore sand particles to the upper roller for coarse separation.
Second, as the raw iron sand material moves into the separation zone of the magnetic head pulley, magnetic minerals are attracted towards the high intensity steel poles.
Third, non-magnetic ore particles are thrown away from the roller surface due to the combined action of gravity and centrifugal force and enter the lower roller for further selection.
Finally, with a carefully positioned splitter, the two fractions – magnetically susceptible minerals and non-magnetics – are separated from each other.
Advantages of the dry magnetic drum separator
Permanent magnetic drum dry separator working site
- 1Reasonable magnetic field distribution, which greatly prolongs the service life.
- 2large enrichment ratio, strong adaptability to ore feeding particle size, concentration, and grade fluctuation.
- 3Produces products with high concentrate grade and high recovery rate with 99%.
Wet magnetic drum separator
What materials can be processed by wet magnetic separator?
The permanent magnetic drum wet separator is suitable for the ores like magnetic pyrite, roasted ore, ilmenite, and other materials with a particle size of less than 3mm. It is also used to process coal ores, non-metallic ores, and building materials.
permanent magnetic drum made of high-quality material
Machine materials and structures
Just like a dry magnetic separator, the wet magnetic separator is also made of powerful rare earth magnets. It is used in the fine grain range from 1 µm up to 3000 µm (0.001 mm – 3 mm) to separate magnetic particles from process liquids, sludges or emulsions. The processing objective here can be both the recovery of valuable iron particles and the avoidance of disruptive iron particles, e.g. upstream of membrane or ultra-filtration.
How to separate ores by permanent magnetic drum wet separator?
It can be divided into three types according to the various tanks:

This method is generally used for coarse selection of strong magnetic minerals with 0-6mm, presenting a high recovery rate and high grade.

Countercurrent-slurry feed direction is opposite to the drum rotating direction. the magnetic concentrate is discharged on one side of the feed opening while the tailings are discharged on the other side.
It is generally used for coarse separating and scavenging the material with 0.6-0mm, and keeping the high recycling rate.

Semi-countercurrent: the slurry feed direction is half the same and half opposite of the drum rotating direction, and the difference with the cocurrent type is that the ore slurry turns a circle in the tank.
The slurry is washed completely by the water, which can prevent inclusions. The movement direction of the slurry is consistent with the direction of the magnetic force, which is conducive to further recycling. semi-countercurrent method also benefits for getting high-grade magnetic concentrate from strong magnetic ore with 0.5-10mm by coarse separation and scavenging, keeping stable slurry surface and operation.
Need to purchase a new magnetic drum separatorAdvantages of the wet magnetic drum separator
- 1Full magnetic design shows large contact area between the pulp and the effective working surface
- 2The diameter of the raw ore can reach 16mm
- 3The magnetic content of tailings is significantly reduced, which is 1-3% lower than that of ordinary magnetic separation equipment.
- 4The separating process is lengthened to make concentrate grade increase by 2-4%
Fote wet magnetic separators have brought Australian customers huge profit
This customer wants to separate vanadium titanium magnetite tailings:
To reduce production costs, Fote Company provides the Indian client the method which comprises the following steps:
Step1Concentrating the magnetic tailings, and sending it into a spiral chute to obtain a spiral ore concentrate and a helical mine tailing;
Step 2Sieving the helical ore concentrate, collecting the part with the graininess of 0.6-0.074 mm;
Step3Drying, enriching the titanium ores to make a further dry magnetic separation, thereby obtaining titanium ore concentrate and ilmenite.
The solution for separating titanium ore concentrate not only ensures the quality but increases the recovery rate by 10-25 percentage points. The annual output of titanium concentrate of our customers has increased from 50 thousand tons to 500 thousand tons.
Facts have proved that magnetic drum separator manufactured by Fote supplier can improve the classification efficiency, especially increase the concentration of underflow, and reduce the phenomenon of overflow and roughness. It has significantly raised the recovery rate and product quality and greatly improved the comprehensive utilization rate of resources.
Contact Fote Engineer OnlineParameter
Model |
Shell diameter (mm) |
Shell lenght (mm) |
Shell rotation speed(r/min) |
Feeding size (mm) |
Processing capacoty (t/h) |
Power(kw) |
CTB6012 | 600 | 1200 | <35 | 2-0 | 10-20 | 1.5 |
CTB6018 | 600 | 1800 | <35 | 2-0 | 15-30 | 2.2 |
CTB7518 | 750 | 1800 | <35 | 2-0 | 20-45 | 2.2 |
CTB9018 | 900 | 1800 | <35 | 3-0 | 40-60 | 3 |
CTB9021 | 900 | 2100 | <35 | 3-0 | 45-60 | 3 |
CTB9024 | 900 | 2400 | <28 | 3-0 | 45-70 | 4 |
CTB1018 | 1050 | 1800 | <20 | 3-0 | 50-75 | 5.5 |
CTB1021 | 1050 | 2100 | <20 | 3-0 | 50-100 | 5.5 |
CTB1024 | 1050 | 2400 | <20 | 3-0 | 60-120 | 5.5 |
CTB1218 | 1200 | 1800 | <18 | 3-0 | 80-140 | 5.5 |
CTB1224 | 1200 | 2400 | <18 | 3-0 | 85-180 | 7.5 |
CTB1230 | 1200 | 3000 | <18 | 3-0 | 100-180 | 7.5 |
CTB1530 | 1500 | 3000 | <14 | 3-0 | 170-280 | 11 |
Model | Feeding size (mm) |
Processing capacity (t/h) |
CTB6012 | 2-0 | 10-20 |
CTB6018 | 2-0 | 15-30 |
CTB7518 | 2-0 | 20-45 |
CTB9018 | 3-0 | 40-60 |
CTB9021 | 3-0 | 45-60 |
CTB9024 | 3-0 | 45-70 |
CTB1018 | 3-0 | 50-75 |
CTB1021 | 3-0 | 50-100 |
CTB1024 | 3-0 | 60-120 |
CTB1218 | 3-0 | 80-140 |
CTB1224 | 3-0 | 85-180 |
CTB1230 | 3-0 | 100-180 |
CTB1530 | 3-0 | 170-280 |