Agricultural giant Cargill has taken a step into the iron ore mining and processing sector, with the announcement of an agreement with Magnetation Inc of Nashwauk, Minnesota, under which the companies will explore opportunities “to develop and utilise Magnetation’s proprietary mineral processing technology.” According to Magnetation, the patent-pending Rev 3 separator technology allows mining operators to recover a marketable, high-grade iron ore concentrate from low-grade haematite iron deposits, including material left behind from prior mining and mineral processing operations.
Cargill through Cargill Ferrous International (CFI) is already a leading international trader and distributor of ferrous and steel products, being involved in the trading, distribution and processing of steel mill consumables and products including iron ore, pig iron, steel scrap, steel long products and steel flat products. The recovered product using the Magnetation process can be sold to a variety of iron ore users, said the Cargill statement. As part of the agreement, Cargill has the exclusive, worldwide right to jointly develop and apply the technology with Magnetation, and the right to market the recovered iron concentrate to its international iron ore customers. Cargill’s financial involvement will help enable Magnetation to boost its production of recovered iron in Minnesota from 150,000 to 450,000 t/y. Magnetation points to the promising commercial aspects of the technology internationally, as well as to the environmental benefits in transforming iron tailings basins into functioning ecological wetlands.
“This pioneering technology generates, in essence, a new source for high-grade iron concentrate from existing resources,” said Larry Lehtinen, Magnetation CEO. “Cargill’s support of this iron recovery technology demonstrates the real commercial value it presents to the iron industry worldwide, as well as the promise it holds in terms of its positive environmental footprint. We are pleased to contribute to the advancement of what we see as next-generation technology in iron recovery,” said Bob Mann, vice president of Cargill Ferrous International.
Magnetation’s proprietary recovery process uses water to convert fine tailings into a mud-like slurry that is ultimately fed through Rev3 technology to isolate the haematite iron from nonferrous elements of tailings, primarily silica. The recovered haematite is a high-value iron concentrate that can be used in a variety of downstream products such as sinter plant feed or blast furnace, nugget plant feed, and Direct Reduced Iron-grade pellet feed, the essential raw materials used in iron and steel-making worldwide. The technology can also be used to upgrade freshly mined haematite ore.