Effects of biomass reducing agent on magnetic properties and phase transformation of Baotou low-grade limonite during magnetizing-roasting

Biomass was used as reducing agent to roast the Baotou low-grade limonite in a high temperature vacuum atmosphere furnace. The effect of calcination temperature, time and ratio of reducing agent on the magnetic properties of calcined ore was studied by VSM. The phase and microstructure changes of limonite before and after calcination were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results show that in the roasting process the phase transition process of the ferrous material in limonite is first dehydrated at high temperature to formα-Fe2O3, and then it is converted into Fe3O4 by the reduction of biomass. With the increase of calcination temperature, the magnetic properties of the calcined ore first increase and then decrease. When the temperature is higher than 650°C, Fe3O4 will become Fe2SiO4, resulting in reduced the magnetic material in calcined ore and the magnetic weakened. The best magnetization effect was obtained when the roasting temperature is 550°C, the percentage of biomass was 15% and the roasting time was 30min. The saturation magnetization can reach 60.13emu·g-1, the recovery of iron was 72% and the grade of iron was 58%.