barite ore spiral separator flow sheet

Flow Sheet for Barite Ore Processing Using a Spiral Separator

Barite (BaSO₄) is a critical industrial mineral used primarily in drilling fluids, chemicals, and fillers. Due to its high specific gravity (4.2–4.5), gravity separation methods—such as spiral separators—are highly effective for upgrading barite ores. Below is a detailed flow sheet outlining the key stages of barite ore processing using spiral concentrators.

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1. Ore Preparation
- Crushing: Run-of-mine (ROM) barite ore is crushed to a size of 10–30 mm using a jaw crusher or hammer mill.
- Screening: Oversize material is recirculated, while undersize proceeds to grinding.
- Grinding: The ore is ground in a ball mill or rod mill to liberate barite from gangue minerals (e.g., quartz, calcite). The target size is typically <1 mm.

2. Spiral Separation
- Feed Preparation: The ground slurry is diluted to 20–30% solids and fed into the spiral separator(s).
- Spiral Configuration:
- High-capacity spirals (e.g., Humphrey or Reichert spirals) with 5–7 turns are used.
- Adjustable splitter blades separate heavy minerals (barite) from lighter gangue.
- Gravity Separation:
- Barite particles settle into the inner grooves due to their high density, while lighter particles report to the outer edge.
- Multiple stages (rougher + cleaner spirals) improve grade and recovery.

3. Product Upgrading
- Middlings Re-treatment: Middlings from the first spiral pass are reprocessed for higher recovery.
- De-sliming (Optional): Fine clay/silt (<75 µm) may be removed via hydrocyclones before spiral separation if necessary.

4. Dewatering & Drying
- Thickening: Barite concentrate slurry is thickened to ~60% solids using a rake or paste thickener.
- Filtration: A filter press or vacuum drum removes excess moisture (~8–10% residual water).
- Drying (Optional): Rotary dryers reduce moisture to <1% for premium-grade products (e.g., API drilling standards).