Wolframite Roughing and Gravity Separation

Wollastonite is mostly found in quartz vein-type deposits. Due to its high specific gravity, brittle physical properties, and susceptibility to mud formation, coupled with its complex mineral composition, wolframite beneficiation presents numerous challenges. Based on the core principle of "early and abundant recovery, and thorough removal of fine mud," wolframite beneficiation has formed four core stages. Roughing and gravity separation, as crucial pre-beneficiation steps, are fundamental to achieving early waste rock rejection and efficient tungsten ore enrichment, directly determining subsequent beneficiation efficiency and overall recovery pace.

Roughing, also known as the pre-selection waste rejection stage, adheres to the principle of "early and abundant rejection" to address the high dilution rate in wolframite mining. Because wolframite veins are relatively thin, the dilution rate in most mines can reach over 70%. A large amount of low-grade waste rock significantly increases the difficulty of subsequent beneficiation; therefore, early pre-selection to reject waste and improve the grade of the raw ore is particularly necessary.

Today, roughing processes have moved beyond the traditional single manual sorting method, evolving into a multi-method combined system. Mainstream methods such as photoelectric separation, heavy media separation, and pre-selection with jigging and shaking screens for waste removal efficiently remove low-grade waste rock, reducing the processing load for subsequent stages and making the beneficiation process more targeted.

Gravity separation is the core process for obtaining rough and concentrate ore according to the principle of "early and abundant collection." Leveraging the high-density physical properties of wolframite, it boasts advantages such as low cost and good environmental performance, making it the mainstream choice for wolframite beneficiation in my country. It employs a process based on "multi-stage grinding, multi-stage jigging, multi-stage shaking tables, and centralized treatment of fine slime," effectively enriching rough and concentrate ore while discarding 45%-55% of tailings, significantly improving beneficiation efficiency.

In practice, the coarse and medium-grained jigging tailings are sent to the rod mill for re-grinding, and the milled product is returned to the double-layer vibrating screen to form a closed loop. The shaking table is separated twice, and the middlings of the coarse and medium-grained shaking table are returned to the circulation loop, while the slime is separated separately. This ensures the full recovery of coarse and medium-grained tungsten ore and avoids fine slime from interfering with the main process, laying the groundwork for subsequent special treatment of fine slime.