DMS FERRO SILICON

The pressure differential method is a good indicator of
the settling properties of ferrosilicon under static
conditions
 The use of the pressure transducer simplified data
recording and allowed for the accurate recording of
multiple data points
 The settling behaviour of the ferrosilicon showed a
slow initial rate followed by a faster but constant
settling rate. This second rate was used to characterize
the settling characteristics
 The pH of the medium did not influence the settling
characteristics of the ferrosilicon during short tests.
This may change if more time is allowed for the
corrosion of the ferrosilicon
 The settling rate decreased with an increase in medium
density and fineness of medium. Slimes (very fine ore)
had a very strong effect of decreasing the settling rate,
especially at high medium densities and with finer
ferrosilicon particles.
It is recommended that future work include viscosity
measurements to find media where an appropriate balance
between stability and viscosity is obtained.