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Techno Analysis of Solid-Liquid Separation of

Iron Ore Concentrates Through Vacuum Disc
Filters

Article · August 2014

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 International Innovative Journal of Engineering and Sciences

Techno Analysis of Solid-Liquid Separation of Iron Ore Concentrates Through Vacuum

Disc Filters

A.V. Koundinya
Student at Asian School of Business Management,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
avkoundinya@gmail.com

Nishit Kumar Srivastava

Assistant Professor, Asian School of Business
Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
nks.ism@gmail.com

Abstract

The project mainly deals with dewatering efficiency of Iron Ore Concentrate using
different types of filters in the filtration process carried out at Iron Ore Pelletization Plant in
India. The filtration equipment was designed to handle beneficiated Iron Ore Concentrate.
However the same facility is used for dewatering of ground iron ore slurry without Beneficiation
during the period when their slurry pipe line is not available. There has been a drop in the
process efficiency in the filtration due to which the filter cake moisture was more than that of
filter cake produced using beneficiated iron ore concentrate. This has in turn has a negative
impact on filter throughput and additional cost of operation. The filtration equipment used was,
Vacuum Disc Filters. For the project, the basic design and different operating parameters under
which the filters operate have been studied and the factors those effect the efficiency of filters
performance with un-beneficiated Iron Ore Concentrate were analyzed using DMAIC and Six
Sigma methods and a solution of valve plate modification for one of the discs of the Vacuum
filter has been suggested followed by an experiment by installing the modified valve plates on
non-drive end and unmodified valve plate on drive end. The process parameters were observed
and also the functioning of the filter, moisture content of the filter cake from time to time and a
graph was plotted.

Keywords: Pelletization, DMAIC, Six Sigma, Unbeneficiated iron ore, Vacuum disc filters.
Introduction

Pelletization Process

Pelletizing is the process of compressing or molding a material into the shape of a pellet.
A wide range of different materials is pelletized including chemicals, iron ore, animal compound
feed, and more. The process of pelletizing combines mixing of the raw material, forming the
pellet and a thermal treatment baking the soft raw pellet to hard spheres. The raw material is
rolled into a ball, then fired in a kiln to sinter the particles into a hard sphere. Due to decades of
mining in India, low-grade fines are abundantly available at mines head. Pelletization is the only
possible route of salvaging this, otherwise waste material, after suitable up gradation by

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beneficiation. With scarcity of calibrated lump ore and its price soaring, necessity of adding
pellets in BF burden us being like never before [1].
Pelletization is process of agglomeration where micro fines either in the beneficiation
concentrate or without beneficiation, are rolled into green balls (9-16mm) before subjecting them
to high temperature counted heat hardening [1].

Solid -Liquid Separation

Solid-Liquid separation by filtration process essentially involves subjecting the slurry to a

differential pressure either through direct application of pressure or indirectly through vacuum.
Coarse particles do not aggregate to a significant extent in suspension and the cake.

Filtration

The filtration section serves to dewater the thickened slurry to residual moisture of
approx 9.5% by weight. The filter used is as explained below.

Vacuum Disc Filters:

In vacuum disc filters for producing the necessary vacuum, each filter is equipped with a
vacuum pump, sucking a mixture of air and filtrate water from the filters via a double stage
vacuum receiver system, where air and filtrate water are separated. The filter cake from the disc
filter is blown off by compressed air [2].
The filter cake blown off from the disc filters is collected on to a belt conveyor and fed
into the bin (GI.00) which is having an effective volume of 450 cubic mts. Slurry is withdrawn
from the two slurry storage tank by one slurry pump. In addition there is a stand by (B4.007/8).
A density meter is employed to control the addition of dilution water up stream of the pump and
to maintain the constant slurry density required for good operation of the disc filters. The level of
slurry in each filter boot is automatically controlled by means of a valve in the feed line to each
filter. The main principle used in vacuum disc filters is by creating vacuum dewatering of slurry
takes place. Vacuum is applied through the central tubing. To each sector of each filter disc. As
each sector rotates in slurry in filter boot, the applied vacuum draws water from the slurry i.e.,
dewaters slurry and the solids, as a layer or cake, Stick onto the outside of the filter disc cloth.
The cake of solids of filter cake is held to the sectors as they emerge from the slurry by the
applied vacuum (pick up vacuum) which dries the filter cake (drying vacuum). Vacuum is drawn
through each sector for approximately one half of a revolution after the sector leaves the slurry.
An automatic snap blow mechanism blows compressed air through the central tubing and into
the sectors that have completed their drying cycle. This compressed air snaps or puffs the filter
cake out of the filter cloths, breaking away the filter cake, which drops on to a conveyor beneath
the filters. The water that is drawn through the filter cloths by the vacuum carries with it a small
amount of concentrate particles from the slurry. These particles are so fine that they pass
between the treads of the filter cloth [2-3].
This water with suspended particles, called filtrate, is entrapped by the air drawn through
the filter cake and passes through the central tubing of the filter to the filtrate receiver. Here most
of the filtrate is separated from the air stream but some carries over to the moisture trap where
the final separation takes place. Filtrate from the moisture trap and the vacuum receiver drains in

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 International Innovative Journal of Engineering and Sciences

to the barometric seal pots, which over flow to the filtrate tank, from here in this will be pumped
to thickener [3].
The filtrate drain lines are air tight and their lower ends are below the filtrate level in the
seal pots The vacuum pumps reduce the air pressure inside the filtrate drain lines ( -25” hg).
Atmospheric air pressure at the filtrate level in the seal pot causes the filtrate to rise in the drain
lines to such a height that the air plus water pressure inside the drain lines, at the seal pot filtrate
line, is equal to outside atmosphere pressure. These barometric seals prevent air from entering
the vacuum system through the filtrate drain lines. The moisture content of the filter cake
depends on the fineness of the material , speed of the discs, the feed slurry density, the cake
thickness and the suction vacuum, in addition to the mechanical performance of the filter and
filter bags [2-3].
As the speed of rotation of the disc is increased, production rate increases. However,
since the filter cake is subject to drying vacuum for a shorter time, the moisture content could
increase. The disc filters are therefore provided with variable speed drives in order to provide a
control over speed so that optimum capacity can be achieved, while the moisture content is held
within the required limit. Level control of the filter boot is provided to ensure that the filter may
be run at near maximum level to obtain optimum capacity with fewer chances of vacuum
leakages and less chances of boot overflow [2-3].

Specifications of filter in a steel manufacturing company in India:

Manufacturer : 6 (X) & 1(Y)

No. of vacuum filters : 7.
No. of discs in each filter : 12.
No. of sectors in each disc : 10.
Area of each sector : 120m2.
Filter cake discharge : 8.8 to 9.3% of moisture.
Vacuum pump capacity : 21600 m3/hr @90%.
Snap blow compressor rating : 5000m3/hr @3.5 bar.
Throughput : 120 tonnes/hr.

Experiment

Objective
To understand the problems encountered by the pellet plant of steel manufacturing
company in India, and suggesting the modifications those are required for improving the
performance of the plant.

Area of study
Vacuum disc filtration process

It is defined as process of removing water from the slurry of iron ore. It is understood that the
moisture levels with un-beneficiated slurry have gone up as shown in the table below.

Table 1: % of Moisture in Vacuum & Ceramic Filters.

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 International Innovative Journal of Engineering and Sciences

Filtration process. Beneficiated Concentrate. Un beneficiated Concentrate.

( % of Moisture ) ( % of Moisture )
Vacuum filters 10.5 12.3

Ceramic filters 9.5 10.6

Methodology
All the three process of filtration are briefly observed and their efficiencies are increased
by suggesting certain modifications. This increases both the plant efficiency in production rate,
quality and specific consumption of oil.

Method Adopted For Study

Each filtration unit is studied with respect to present level of operation efficiency and
there by suggesting the modifications.

DMAIC Method
It is one of the SIX SIGMA methods, which is adopted in providing a solution.

Vacuum Filters
Define:
 Calculate the present moisture content in vacuum filter.
 To check the equipment conditions.
 To monitor the flow parameters in slurry quantity.
Measure:
 Present moisture in vacuum filter: 11.7%.
 The size fraction of slurry.
Analysis:
The cause effect analysis is done by using FISH BONE method.

Figure 1: Fish Bone Method

Conclusion:
 Equipment modification should be done in order to reduce the moisture content.
Improve:

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 Only valve plate has to be modified considering the nature of slurry ore that is
supplied and its chemical composition.

Before Modification:

Figure 2: Valve Plate Figure 3: Actual Valve Plate

In the above condition valve plate pickup zone curvature length was 454mm due to which
the amount of slurry that is picked up is more, which results in more amount of moisture. In
order to reduce the moisture content the following modification in the ratio of pick up zone to
drying zone has to be changed without effecting the through put, so that the pickup quantity is
reduced thereby reducing the moisture content When the output has been decreased then we have
thought that any modifications have to be done to increase the throughputs so the modification
suggested is decreasing the pickup zone of filter and increasing the drying zone.

After modification:

Figure 4: Comparison of Valve Plate before and after Modification

The area of the pickup zone has been reduced from454mm to 318mm to reduce the pickup time.

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Figure 5: Valve Plate Disc

Check and Control

 PP-1 filter21 Non Driver End valve plate experiment has been made to check the
moisture control level in the filter cake by modifying the valve plate.

Experimental Setup
The valve plates that are connected to drive end has not been modified and the valve
plates that are connected to non drive end has been modified and the performance in terms of
cake thickness and moisture that is obtained from the plates has been observed from time to time
and the following tabular form has been made.

Table 2: Moisture & Thickness of the filter cake readings

Drive End Non Drive End

Cake DE Cake NDE
Time
thickness Moisture thickness Moisture
9:00 6.00 12.24 6.50 11.89
27-Feb-13
12:00 5.50 11.97 6.00 11.57
9:00 6.50 11.92 7.00 11.42
11:00 7.50 11.87 7.00 11.54
1:00 7.50 11.71 7.20 11.38
28-Feb-13
3:00 7.10 11.70 7.00 11.50
5:00 6.70 12.25 6.50 11.82
7:00 6.80 12.17 6.50 12.01
10:00 5.20 12.39 5.50 11.82
1-Mar-13 1:00 5.00 11.40 5.50 11.25
3:00 6.30 12.03 6.50 11.39

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 International Innovative Journal of Engineering and Sciences

Figure 6: Graphical Representation Moisture between DE & NDE

Observations
1) Reduction in moisture of 0.2 to 0.5% depending on the filter cake density and granulometry.
2) Negligible change in cake thickness is observed.

Proposals
After modification it is observed that thickness of the cake is maintain the same.
Therefore, if we reduce further area of pick-up zone for 50mm, may result better.
Result
From the above obtained data it is known that the moisture content of vacuum disc filters
has been reduced from 11.9%to 11.66% after modification.

References

[1] Meyer, K., “Pelletizing of Iron Ores”, Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, Dusseldorf, 1980.

[2] Sutherland, K., “ Filters and Filtration Handbook”, Oxford: Elsevier, 2008, pp. 128–
130. ISBN 1-85617-464-6.

[3] Svarovsky, L., “Solid-liquid separation”, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2000, pp. 423–
425. ISBN 0-7506-4568-7.

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