The beneficiation of Kaolin using a commercial high intensity magnetic separator

A Commercial 84 inch diameter, 2-Tesla High Intensity Magnetic Separator has been operated in Cornwall, England since 1976 to extract iron bearing mineral impurities from certain areas of raw feed clay worked for ceramic clays. The separator enhanced the clay properties of feeds containing up to 50% below 2 micron particles providing an additional control element in achieving the specifications of the final highgrade kaolin products. The paper describes the operating method employed with the magnetic separator and gives the process results from laboratory trials and the subsequent commercial scale production.