Brucite, also known as magnesite hydroxide, is usually flaky, or a fibrous aggregate, white or light green, colorless, fracture glassy luster, the solution surface is pearly luster, fibrous ones are silky luster, the flakes are flexible, the fibrous ones are brittle, one of the minerals with high magnesium content in the nature, which is a layered hydroxide, simple chemical composition, theoretical composition (%): MgO 69.12, H2O 30.88. 30.88 As one of the important raw materials for magnesium extraction, magnesite is a precious high magnesium non-metallic mineral. The unique structure and composition of magnesite mineral determines its performance and use function. In recent years, the industrial value of magnesite is more and more attention, domestic and foreign deposits, mineralogy has been a more comprehensive study, the development and utilization is also more in-depth.

 First, the current situation of the development and application of magnesite

 Brucite ore is widely used in fireproof coating, paper industry, production of magnesium oxide, production of magnesium chloride, environmental protection and other fields.

  (1) fireproof coating

  Brucite water content is particularly high, about 31%. Differential thermal analysis of brucite shows that its thermal decomposition and dehydration temperature is between 420～520℃, which is close to the combustion temperature of general articles, so it can be used as fireproof coating and flame retardant.

  (2) Paper-making industry

  Brucite has high whiteness, good flaking, strong adhesion, basic non-absorbent, etc. In the paper industry, brucite in the production of magnesium-based sulfite pulp process instead of lime, can be absorbed so that the waste pulp water can be recycled, and greatly reduce the waste pulp water pollution of the environment. Because brucite in the air does not absorb water, can also be used as moisture-proof packing paper filler.

  (3) Preparation of magnesium oxide

  In brucite, magnesium oxide content is high, you can directly calcine brucite to produce magnesium oxide, and the process is simple, low cost, easy to control. Refractory grade magnesium oxide can be produced by using brucite. Magnesite and dolomite calcined at high temperature into magnesium and calcium oxides, and then finely ground, and then mixed with organic binders, pressed into the mold, the second calcined refractory bricks products, the use of magnesite can also be produced high-grade magnesium sand.

  (4) Preparation of magnesium chloride

  Anhydrous magnesium chloride is the main raw material for electrolysis of magnesium metal, China's current preparation of magnesium chloride is mainly magnesite particles with carbon chlorination method, at the same time, in order to replenish the loss of chlorine, with the method of carnallite dehydration to prepare.

When preparing magnesium chloride with magnesite, it is not easy to break up when it is thermally decomposed, with better strength and faster chlorination reaction, which has obvious advantages over magnesite, and it is an ideal raw material for the preparation of magnesium chloride.

  (5) Application in the field of environmental protection

  Due to the characteristics of the composition of brucite, it can be used as acidic wastewater neutralization treatment agent. It not only has process superiority over traditional alkali substances (such as calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, etc.) in many aspects, but also can greatly reduce the cost in the treatment and discharge of generating material. In recent years, brucite has been in greater demand for treating acid rain contaminated soil, adjusting soil pH and neutralizing acidic wastewater. Magnesite can also be used as a flue gas desulfurizer. Magnesite added to boiler fuel can reduce the harm of high mercury and high sulfur fuel to the boiler and reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide and other harmful gases. Deep processing of brucite into a non-sedimentary and non-cohesive active magnesium hydroxide can be effectively and widely used in the field of flue gas desulfurization.

  (6) Other fields of application

  brucite in addition to the above uses, by electric melting can produce extremely dense with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation of magnesite aggregates, the use of its period than the melting of magnesite 2 to 3 times longer; if the brucite and dolomite calcined, the products used in the steel manufacturing industry, can remove P, S and other impurities and treatment of slag; brucite and calcium carbonate calcined at 800 ~ 1,150 ° C mix of the products, can be used in the sugar industry Treatment of beet sugar juice, as a decolorant.

 Second, magnesite beneficiation process and progress

  Brucite raw ore in the granular ore stage, the country is currently mainly through the roughing way to sort out the concentrate inside, the remaining tailings are piled up in large quantities in the tailings storage. First of all, the processing efficiency of the raw ore is low, and there is a certain proportion of brucite concentrate wasted in the tailings.

And the brucite ore characteristics of low-grade tailings are mainly yellow and black material, as well as a small amount of white dolomite associated minerals, sorting is difficult, if by using the brucite concentrate and tailings of the surface characteristics of the difference is completely can be done to effectively identify and sorting.

 Solution for Brucite Tailings

(Brucite Case Study)

In the field of visible light sorting, through the introduction of intelligent identification sorting technology, MINGDE AI mineral stone sorting machine can identify the color, texture, luster, shape and other characteristics of the surface of the ore, and establish an identification model, and through the model to extract the multi-dimensional features, and ultimately achieve the purpose of sorting the ore. At present, the equipment can sort ores of 0.5-15cm, while the optimal particle size of brucite is within 8cm due to dissociation, and the difference in surface characteristics is obvious, which can be recognized and sorted by the artificial intelligence sorting equipment of MINGDE AI sorting machine. And for the tailings after sorting, through the equipment sorting can do magnesite ore recycling and reuse, mining enterprises have high economic benefits. The equipment itself has a large processing capacity and high precision, and has been used in all kinds of metal and non-metal mines, and its performance is stable and reliable.