National University of Science and Technology–MISIS, Moscow, Russia:

T. I. Yushina, Acting Head of a Chair, Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, yuti62@mail.ru
I. O. Krylov, Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
V. S. Valavin, Director, Director, Romelt Innovation Scientific and Education Center, Doctor of Engineering Sciences
P. A. Sysa, Engineer, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

(tailings, fine pulp, slug, metal dust, etc.) that can be converted into marketable products by relevant treatment. In the first part, the article presents experimental research findings on dressability of iron-bearing waste with a view to recovering valuable components for further treatment using ROMELT process. The research involved mining waste of Verkhne-Churbash tailings pond (sample VCh) and stock piles at Kamysh-Burun Iron Ore Plant (sample KB) which are tailings of Kamysh-Burun and Eltigen-Ortel ironstone mining. The mentioned iron ore plant is located near town of Kerch in the Republic of Crimea and is out of operation at the present time. Mining waste cover vast areas in the vicinity of a sanatorium-resort zone. According to the studies of mineral composition, sample VCh is represented by yellow-gray sand-sized granular material. The material is predominantly composed of finely dispersed particles of micaceous–clayey minerals and hydro-goethite. Sample KB is a different-sized (closer to sand) dark-brown and reddish-brown material. Particle size distribution is more even in sample VCh than in sample KB. In the both samples, the most percentage of content falls at a size –0.4+0.071 mm. This size content makes 31 % in sample VCh and 55 % in sample KB. For another thing, sample VCh contains a good few of size grade larger than 0.8 mm—round 40 %. Large particles (+1.0 mm) are mainly sedimentary rocks with high phosphorus content. Removal of large particles will allow considerable (by 25 %) reduction in phosphorus content and thereby will make it possible to prepare sample KB material for smelting without magnetic separation. The screen analysis of the initial samples VCh and KB shows that particle size distribution is more uniform in sample VCh than in sample KB. Secondary iron in sample KB occurs in large size particles, in a bound state and is hard-to-recover. The same mechanism is true for sample VCh though it is not so pronounced as in sample KB. Consequently, iron is expected to be recovered from the size grade of –0.4 mm. Mossbauer effect studies show that iron minerals in the test samples represent industrially produced species of ferric hydroxides. Despite essential difference in the iron content and class of mining waste, the two samples contain high quantities of super paramagnetic hydro-goethite and weakly magnetic hydro-goethite, and some few iron silicates. The presence of such set of iron minerals proves technological nature of the both samples of the material which endured high-temperature phase transitions or longterm influence of oxidation–reduction process under contact with the atmosphere.
The authors appreciate participation of E. V. Khalueva and V. S. Katasonova, Students of the College of Mining, MISIS, in the present research.
The studies have been supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, within the framework of the Federal Targeted Program on R&D in Priority Areas of Advancement in the Science and Technology of Russia for 2014–2020.
The second part of the article is scheduled for publication in the next issue of Mining Journal (Unique Agreement Identifier RFMEF57814X0049).

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