Why dry separation for quartz
Dry separation removes iron from quartz that is already dried and free-flowing, without adding water or a drying step afterwards. PTMS electromagnetic dry separators are built for exactly this duty: the dry-powder range lists quartz powder, feldspar powder, bentonite, battery materials, graphite and activated carbon as typical feeds. The magnetic system uses a large wrap angle and multiple poles, so the field in the separation zone is uniform, and the field strength can be designed for the material.
Where the iron comes from
Iron in quartz sits in three places: liberated magnetic grains, weakly magnetic mineral inclusions, and staining on the surface of the grains. An electromagnetic separator with an adjustable, strong field captures the first two, including the weakly magnetic fraction that ordinary low-intensity magnets leave behind. Surface staining and iron held inside the grain can need extra processing such as scrubbing, so we ask for a sample before promising a figure. Our news article on quartz sand for PV glass covers the specification side.
The double-discharge dry separator
The dry separator for quartz powder in our range has a water-cooled structure with copper pipe for stronger magnet power, fully automatic operation and double discharge: the powder is cleaned twice, so more iron is removed. Its detailed datasheet is issued on request. The same PT electromagnetic dry-powder machines are used on weakly magnetic oxides and scale-like corrosion contaminants in ceramic, glass and refractory raw materials.
Granular quartz versus powder
- Powder (free-flowing, fine): electromagnetic dry-powder separators as above (current models PT3A160, PT20A600, PT25A600 and PT1000; see the model table).
- Granules 0.1–10 mm: belt-type separators with rare-earth magnetic rollers handle granular material; see conveyor drum and pulley separators.
- Slurry: wet electromagnetic separators; see wet magnetic separators.
A typical quartz line combines stages: a permanent rod or drawer magnet catches coarse tramp iron early, and the electromagnetic dry separator polishes the dried product. Exact positions depend on your process. You can see quartz runs on the plant floor in our videos, and the same company's sister site has a longer technical guide on silica sand iron removal for glass.
What to send
For quartz, tell us: grain size or mesh, moisture (it must flow freely), hourly throughput, current Fe content, the target specification and the end use (glass, ceramic, PV, foundry). With a sample we run a test and report the iron removed. Our FAQ states that no numbers are quoted without a test.
Next step: send us your material details (or WhatsApp +86 139 2990 7491) and we reply with a matched model and a quotation. Our FAQ states that a test on a sample of your material comes first, and that no iron-reduction figure is quoted without a test.