A new plant for the enrichment of sludge at sludge depository No. 2 has been launched at PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works’ (MMK) ore-dressing workshop. This will allow the company to increase the share of its own iron ore materials in sinter production’s burden, but also to significantly decrease its industrial impact on the environment.
The new plant is designed to collect iron concentrate from the sludge, which is currently located at sludge depository No. 2. The plant is able to process 2 million tons of sludge with a total iron content of 28.8% per year and collect 530 thousand tons of concentrate with an iron content of no less than 59%.
Over the last few years PJSC MMK has been examining the different technological processes that can be used for the enrichment of sludge located at sludge depository No. 2, to ensure the maximum possible collection of concentrate with a high iron content. For this, in particular, some aspects of the design were outsourced. As a result, a technological design was developed for the enrichment of sludge through magnetic-gravitation technology.
The implementation of the project will allow MMK not only to increase the share of its own iron ore materials, but also to significantly reduce and prevent the further impact of industrial waste on the environment.
The annual emissions of the existing sludge (tailing), generated in the enrichment of iron ore at crushing and enriching plant No. 5, amount to over 1.2 million tons per year. These are stored at the current sludge depository No. 2. In 2017 MMK completed the first stage of the reconstruction of sludge depository No. 2, which allowed it to increase its capacity to 49 million cubic meters. Sanitary protection zones in the perimeter of sludge depository No. 2 and a costal line around Ozyorny village were established. (MMK/Ukrainian metal)