Predictable separation

mt DMS (plants)

Many DMS plants are built from similar equipment. What makes the difference is how the circuit is engineered. Mineral Technologies designs modular DMS plants around the mineral DNA of each deposit, applying decades of fine mineral processing expertise to optimise feed preparation, cyclone stability, medium management and plant maintainability, delivering predictable recovery, controlled FeSi consumption and faster ramp-up.

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Working Principle

Simple physics. Demanding execution.

Dense Media Separation uses a simple principle: particles with different densities behave differently in a dense liquid.

By mixing crushed ore with a slurry containing ferrosilicon (FeSi), operators create a medium with a carefully controlled density. Particles lighter than the medium float, while heavier particles sink.

This allows valuable minerals to be separated from waste based purely on apparent density.

DMS operates most effectively within a defined particle size range. In typical applications, material between approximately 0.5 mm and 50 mm is treated, with some applications extending up to 100 mm depending on the ore characteristics and plant design.

This makes DMS fundamentally different from fine particle processes such as flotation, which operate on much smaller particle sizes. Instead, DMS targets the coarse fraction of the ore — where large volumes of waste can be rejected early in the process.

Gravity separation vs density separation

In conventional gravity separation, particles settle slowly according to their natural density differences. In Dense Media Separation, the process is accelerated and controlled by suspending particles in a dense medium that immediately forces the separation.

Inside a DMS cyclone, the slurry is exposed to strong centrifugal forces that further intensify the separation. Heavier particles move outward and report to the sink product, while lighter material exits through the float stream.

The medium is then recovered through drain, rinse and magnetic circuits before being returned to the process.

Where experience matters

While the principle is straightforward, maintaining stable separation conditions is where expertise becomes critical.

Separation efficiency depends on:

consistent medium density
well-prepared feed material
stable cyclone pressure and flow conditions
efficient recovery of the ferrosilicon medium

Small deviations like excess fines, unstable pressure or medium losses can quickly reduce recovery and increase operating costs.

That is why mt DMS plants are engineered not only for separation itself, but for maintaining stable process conditions throughout the entire circuit.