OREANDA-NEWS. December 06, 2012. MCC Northern Engineering & Technology Corporation (NETC) announced that, the Concentrating Mill of Yuanjiacun Iron Mine, with largest amount of raw ore in Asia, had been successfully put into trail run. The products made in various stages had been proved to be qualified in compliance with or even exceeding the design standard, and the overall concentrating process had been conducted smoothly, reported the press-centre of MCC Group.  

Yuanjiacun Iron Mine is the ever largest established magnetic hematite mine in Asia. The designed annual disposal amount of raw ore is 22 million tons. The output of iron concentrate (at a grade of 65%) is 7.5 million tons per annum. As a matter of fact, the mine consists of various ores with the most complicated characteristics in China (11 types of ores), with the finest granularity (P80=28mm), being regarded as the most difficult ore for concentrating.
Since the trial run with raw materials was commenced for the first time, the overall concentrating process have been conducted smoothly, all the products made in various stages have been proved to be qualified in compliance with the design standard, some of which have even been rated above the standard as required.

Under this project, the full-automation steel-ball adding technology is employed, for the first time in China, in the mill. According to this technology, the corrugation baffle adhesive tape machine is utilized for transferring the steel ball, and the horizontal tap machine and the electric hydraulic rod are used for pushing the ball. The buffer storage yard under this project is China’s first one (three pile per day) for large-grade ore, with a total storage capacity of 140,000 tons and an effective capacity of 82,000 tons.

On this yard, the tape machine (instead of the traditional heavy plate feeding machine) is used for ore discharging, which is featured by low investment and easy for maintenance. In China, this is the first time to arrange nine mills (in three sections) within the same span of one workshop, so that it is easy for replacement of the lining plate through mechanical arm for the mill, as well as easy for inspection, reparation and management. This is also the first time to use systemic-circulation anionic reverse flotation process in China. In addition, a specific visiting passage is provided between the main plant and the flotation workshop, which is characterized by convenience, safety and wide vision.

After the Concentrating Mill of Yuanjiacun Iron Mine is formally put into operation, China’s dependence on the imported iron ore will be alleviated. The mill will supply hematite of good quality, reliability and low costs to Taiyuan Iron & Steel Works. In this way, the self-sufficiency degree of concentrate fines will be substantially increased, and thus the comprehensive competitiveness of Taiyuan Iron & Steel Works will be further enhanced.