With the aim of high-efficiency utilization of Dandong ludwigite ore, a new process of metallizing reduction and mag- netic separation was proposed, and the effects of reduction temperature, reduction time, carbon ratio, ore size and coal size on the efficiency of the process were investigated in details, and relevant mechanisms were elucidated by SEM and EDS. The optimum technological parameters for metallizing reduction and magnetic separation on ludwigite ore were obtained as reduction tempera- ture of 1 250 ℃, reduction time of 60 min, carbon ratio of 1.4, ore size of 0.500-2.000 mm, and coal size of 0.50-1.50 mm. After adopting the optimum parameters, the iron content and recovery ratio of iron in magnetic substance are 87.78% and 88.02%, re- spectively, while the recovery ratios of boron, magnesium and silicon in non-magnetic substance are 88.86%, 94.60% and 98.66%, respectively. After metallizing reduction and magnetic separation, valuable elements of ludwigite ore could be separated and uti- lized in subsequent steelmaking process and hydrometallurgy process.
A novel and clean technological route for the comprehensive utilization of low-grade ludwigite ore was proposed, inwhich magnesium was extracted by metallizing reduction？magnetic separation, sulfuric acid leaching and ethanol precipitationoperation. Meanwhile, iron-rich product, silicon-rich product and boron-rich product were obtained, respectively. In the process ofmetallizing reduction-magnetic separation, 94.6% of magnesium was enriched in the non-magnetic substance from the ore reducedat 1250 ℃ for 60 min with the ore size of 0.50-2.00 mm and coal size of 0.50-1.50 mm. When the non-magnetic substance wasleached at 90 ℃ for 15 min with the liquid-to-solid ratio of 7：1, 87.4% of magnesium was leached into the liquor separated fromsilicon gathering in leaching residue. The ethanol precipitation was conducted for 30 min with the ethanol-to-original liquid volumeratio of 1.5：1 at room temperature. 97.2% of magnesium was precipitated out with the initial concentration of 0.8 mol/L in the formof MgSO4·7H2O.
