Microwave assisted grinding of ilmenite ore

The influence of microwave heating on the grinding of Panzhihua ilmenite ore was investigated. Factors that influence the processing are: the microwave exposure time, power density and sample mass. 40 g sample was microwave heated for 30 s with 1 kW of microwave power and followed by water quenching. SEM analysis indicated that intergranular fractures occurred between ores and gangues other than transgranular fractures after microwave treatment, which would liberate minerals from each other effectively. The subsequently magnetic separation trials provided evidence that the recovery rate increased from 44% for raw ore to 72% by microwave treatment.