Processing

The concentrator, featuring six processing lines, transforms the magntite ore into high-quality, premium magnetite concentrate. This is the heart of the operation at Sino Iron.

Primary crushed ore from the open pit is fed into world's biggest grinding mills to produce a fine powder. Each of Sino Iron's six milling lines consists of a primary autogenous (AG) mill and a secondary ball mill. Following three stages of magnetic separation and passing through the ball mill, the final high grade concentrate is produced.

As the name suggests, magnetite ore is magnetic so we're able to use large magnetic separators to draw out the iron from the waste material.

The resulting magnetite concentrate is a premium product that grades approximately 65% Fe.

• Four in-pit crushers from Germany – the largest installation in Australia, with capacity to crush 4,250 tonnes of ore per hour per unit.
• The conveyor carrying crushed ore from the mine to the concentrator area is 2.4m wide and 1.7km long.
• The largest AG mills in the world, they’re 12.2m in diameter and 11m long with 28MW gearless motors.
• The ball mills, the second stage grinding equipment, are 7.9m in diameter and 13.6m long, each with two 7800 kW motors.
• 52 magnetic separators are used in each of the processing lines.
• Two concentrate thickeners, each 45m in diameter and four tails thickeners each 90m in diameter.
• Four dewatering buildings, each containing seven press filters.
• Each press filter has a design capacity of 154 tonnes of concentrate per hour.