Essentially a magnetic separator allows the separating of non-magnetic metals from magnetic ones, and other non-metallic particles. The usual configuration of a separator consists of a conveyor on the end of which a magnetic induction roller is positioned. When the iron objects leave the area of the magnetic field they automatically drop into appropriate canals or containers. In the best developed models this enables highly efficient separation of ferrous and, in many applications, non-ferrous particles.
See Magnetic Separators in action in this video:
The aim of separator design is to create multiple powerful compressed magnetic fields that en-circle the magnetic separator element for maximum removal efficiency and band speed. According to data available on the web an example of the rate of translation is between 5 and 2,000 m/s , depending on separator type and scale. Magnetic separators have been devised over a wide range of scales from the molecular scale up to the size of tin cans, which are processed and separated in waste disposal operations.
A rapidly growing use of magnetic separation exists in the waste processing industry to separate materials for recycling. They are used in MRFs, MBTs, and incinerators.
