The Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) chose to go with Sturtevant’s 26’ Whirlwind^® air classifiers as part of the Iron Bridge project, a joint venture between FMG and China’s Baosteel. Sturtevant has sold three of these units to FMG in Australia. The high-throughput operation will remove beneficiated magnetite fines at 120-mesh, 200-mesh and 325-mesh and increase iron concentration. The company chose the Whirlwind air classifier because, says Sturtevant, “of its dry air classification process. Wet washing requires expensive capital equipment, high energy output and a high volume of water. Dry separation requires less capital investment, less water and energy costs and provides exponential savings over wet washing.”

Sam Rajkovich, Sturtevant’s Director of Sales & Marketing said, “Dry air classification saves our customer money on the initial capital investment and allows them to refine and improve the quality of their iron more economically than any other method of particle separation.”

Another crucial factor for the choice was that the Whirlwind air classifier “was efficient even at high moisture contents. The Whirlwind offered the most flexibility during variable process conditions including weather, temperature, and humidity changes.”

The Iron Bridge project is a joint venture mining magnetite from deposits located south of Port Hedland, Australia situated on the traditional lands of the Njamal People.