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Purpose. The objective of this work in the first stage is to characterize the poor iron ore from the El Ouenza mine. Then, in the second stage, it is a question of valorizing it by high intensity magnetic separation.
Methodology. The characterization of representative samples taken from the study area was carried out using several tech-niques, including X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Processes involving a combination of calcination and high-intensity dry magnetic separation were used to upgrade the poor iron ore to meet the requirements of the steel industry.
F ndings. The results obtained show that the El Ouenza iron ore consists mainly of ferrous minerals, notably hematite and goethite, as well as a siliceous and calcareous gangue. The treatment results enabled us to achieve a grade of 51.94 % for the sample calcined at 900 C using a magnetic field of 2.3 T on the size fraction (-0.5 +0.125) mm.
Originality. The originality of the work lies in the possibility of using combined methods, calcination and magnetic separation, to valorize poor iron ore from the Ouenza mine.
Practical value. This study shows that the results obtained by calcination and magnetic separation are very significant. These techniques enable us to obtain a concentrate with an iron content of 51.94 %, bringing value to the steel industry, eliminating the reserves of poor iron ore stored near the mine site and preserving the environment.
Keywords: El Ouenza mine, enrichment, treatment, magnetic separation, calcination, environment
Introduction. The continuous exploitation of ore deposits leads to the gradual depletion of raw materials, creating critical problems in the mining industry. This encourages the use of tailings generated during ore processing, rejects from mine workings, low-grade ores and processing fines [1]. However, iron has continually become in high demand as a result of technological and industrial development on a global scale. Reserves of high-quality iron ore that can be used directly in the steel industry are limited and are being depleted very rap-idly [2]. In addition, the mining of iron ore deposits produces huge quantities of waste, constituting a major solid waste. It is estimated that several...