Process for improving the concentration of non-magnetic high specific gravity minerals

A solids separation process for separating high specific gravity non-magnetic solids material from a feed mixture also comprising non-magnetic solids material having a lower specific gravity than said high specific gravity non-magnetic solids material, for enhanced recovery of said high specific gravity non-magnetic solids material relative to the recovery obtained by gravity separation of the feed mixture, wherein said feed mixture is substantially free of magnetic solids material therein, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) combining said feed mixture with a magnetic solids material which is non-adherent to and non-absorbed by the high specific gravity non-magnetic solids material and the lower specific gravity non-magnetic solids material, to form a magnetic solids material-augmented feed mixture;
• and
• (b) separating the magnetic solids material-augmented feed mixture by gravity-magnetic separation to recover a concentrate comparing comprising high specific gravity non-magnetic solids material and magnetic solids material, wherein the concentration of high specific gravity non-magnetic solids material in the concentrate is enhanced, relative to conventional gravity separation or gravity-magnetic separation of the feed mixture in the absence of the added magnetic solids material, said gravity-magnetic separation comprising separating the magnetic solids material-augmented feed mixture on a generally downwardly sloping separation surface over which the magnetic solids material-augmented material flows under the influence of a directional magnetic force which is co-directional with the gravitational force acting on the magnetic solids material-augmented feed mixture on the separation surface, and wherein the separation is carried out in such manner as to prevent the buildup of magnetic material on the separation surface.