Wet Drum Magnetic Separator | High-Intensity Type

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:57:53 +0000

The wet drum magnetic separator is the standard tool for concentrating magnetic minerals in a slurry stream. It sits in the concentration stage of an iron-ore flowsheet, downstream of grinding and classification, and can also act as a guard unit to pull tramp magnetics out of a feed before flotation or fine grinding.

How it works

Slurry feeds into a tank where a rotating, non-magnetic drum shell turns over a stationary magnet assembly. As magnetic particles enter the field they pin to the drum surface, are lifted clear of the slurry, and are washed off into the concentrate launder past the edge of the magnet arc. Non-magnetic and weakly magnetic material flows under and out as tailings. Field strength and drum speed are the two main levers for grade-versus-recovery.

Low-intensity (LIMS): for strongly magnetic minerals such as magnetite; high recovery at modest field strength.
High-intensity: for weakly magnetic minerals such as roasted hematite, ilmenite, or fine iron-bearing material that a low-intensity field would miss.

Sizing and selection

Choosing a unit starts with the magnetic susceptibility of your mineral, the feed particle size, and the required tonnage. Fine, weakly magnetic feeds need a stronger field and often a slower drum for recovery; coarse, strongly magnetic feeds run faster for throughput. As a manufacturer, Xinhai offers a range of drum diameters, widths, and magnet configurations, plus single- or multi-drum tanks, rather than one fixed model. Typical concentrate grades for magnetite circuits can reach the mid-60s percent Fe when grind and field are well matched.

Wet or dry, and where it fits

Wet separation suits fine, already-slurried feeds and avoids dust; for dry, coarse, or arid-site duty, see our dry magnetic separator, and our wet vs dry magnetic separation guide compares the two for iron ore. A wet drum unit normally works in closed circuit with grinding and classification, often after two or three cleaning passes to lift the final concentrate grade; the full magnetic separators range and our EPC+M+O service cover complete iron-ore lines from crushing to dewatering.

Send your mineral, feed size, and tonnage and we will recommend a field strength, drum configuration, and budget via our contact page.

Dry Magnetic Separator | High-Intensity Drum Type

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:57:54 +0000

The dry high-intensity magnetic separator concentrates or cleans dry feeds without slurry. It is the practical choice where water is scarce or expensive, where the downstream product must stay dry, and for purifying non-metallic minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and silica sand by stripping out iron-bearing contaminants.

How it works

Dry, free-flowing material is fed evenly onto a rotating drum fitted with a high-intensity magnet system. Magnetic particles are attracted to the drum surface and carried around to discharge beyond the magnet arc, while non-magnetic particles follow their natural trajectory and drop earlier into a separate bin. A splitter between the streams sets the grade-recovery balance. Because there is no water, there is also no dewatering step afterward.

No process water: lower operating cost and a simpler flowsheet.
High-intensity field captures weakly magnetic minerals like ilmenite.
Adjustable splitter and drum speed for grade-versus-recovery control.
Effective for both recovering magnetics and removing magnetic contaminants.

Selection and limits

Dry separation works best on relatively coarse, dry, free-flowing material; very fine or damp feeds tend to agglomerate and separate poorly, which is where a wet machine wins. Feed should generally be dry (low surface moisture) and screened to a consistent size range for stable splitting. As an OEM manufacturer, Xinhai offers a range of drum sizes and field strengths and configures capacity to your tonnage rather than selling a single model. For iron-ore concentration, throughput per machine is lower than the wet equivalent, so the choice is driven by water availability and feed condition.

Choosing dry vs wet

If your feed is already a fine slurry, a wet drum magnetic separator usually recovers more; our wet vs dry magnetic separation guide explains when each route makes sense. Dry units pair well with dry grinding and screening lines, and are often arranged in two stages, a rougher pass followed by a cleaner, to balance recovery against product purity. See the full magnetic separators range, and ask about complete dry-process lines, from crushing through separation, through our EPC+M+O service.

Tell us your mineral, feed size and moisture, and tonnage, and we will recommend a field strength and configuration with budget via our contact page.

Magnetic Separators – Xinhai Mineral Processing EPC

Wet Drum Magnetic Separator | High-Intensity Type

How it works

Sizing and selection

Wet or dry, and where it fits

Dry Magnetic Separator | High-Intensity Drum Type

How it works

Selection and limits

Choosing dry vs wet