TITLE:
Beneficiation of Balochistan Magnetic Sand through the Magnetic Separation Technique and Effect of Particle Size for Iron Enrichment
AUTHORS:
Muhammad Aamir Raza, Khurram Shahzad, Nadia Khan, Bibi Seema, Farrukh Bashir
KEYWORDS:
Balochistan, Beneficiation, Magnetic Sand, Low Intensity Magnetic Separator, Iron Concentrate
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.9,
September
7,
2026
ABSTRACT: The present study aims to develop an economic beneficiation process to promote the utilization of indigenous low grade magnetic sand from Balochistan for iron production. A low-intensity magnetic separator (LIMS) was employed to upgrade raw materials and produce iron concentrate for the steel and iron industries, thereby contributing to reducing iron imports in Pakistan. The effect of particle size and processing medium (dry and wet conditions) on iron (Fe) recovery. Under dry conditions, the optimum performance was obtained for the −150 + 200 mesh particle size fraction, yielding a concentrate containing 70.0% Fe and 1.75% silica (SiO2) with a weight recovery of 44.0% and an Fe recovery of 94.21%. In contrast, under wet magnetic separation, the optimum fraction −200 produced a concentrate containing 64.40% Fe and 4.25% SiO2 with a weight recovery of 47.54% and an Fe recovery of 93.65%. The results demonstrate that dry magnetic separation is more effective than wet processing for upgrading the studied magnetic sand. The study highlights the potential of Balochistan magnetic sand as a viable local resource for iron enrichment through a simple and cost-effective magnetic separation technique.