Investigation of Ferrosilicon Losses in the Dense-Medium Separation Circuit at the Kamfundwa Plant, Kambove Territory, Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo

Author(s)	Mr. Gratien Mukendi, Prof. Dr. Thierry Musanda, Mr. Jean-Marc Madihano, Mr. Gigi Kasongo
Country	South Africa
Abstract	Ferrosilicon (FeSi) consumption at the Kamfundwa Plant, Democratic Republic of Congo, has been found to be excessive, averaging 0.7 kg/ton of ore processed. This high consumption significantly increases operating costs and highlights inefficiencies in the dense-medium separation (DMS) circuit. The present study investigates and quantifies ferrosilicon losses within the circuit and explores potential optimization strategies. Experimental tests were conducted to identify loss points in the DMS circuit, with ferrosilicon analyzed using magnetic methods. Control campaigns revealed that most losses—99.55%—occurred in the effluent from the magnetic separator, while smaller proportions were recorded in the reject screen (0.176%) and concentrate screen rejects (0.265%). These findings demonstrate that the magnetic separator is the critical source of ferrosilicon losses, underscoring the need for targeted process improvements. Addressing this inefficiency could substantially reduce FeSi consumption, lower operational costs, and enhance the overall performance of the separation process at the Kamfundwa Plant.
Keywords	Ferrosilicon, Gravimetric concentration, Magnetic separation process, Density and Dense medium.
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-11
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.79957

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research