Abstract: Conventional column magnetic separator used pulsating square magnetic field to generate sequential downward magnetic force to attract magnetic particles, so as to separate magnetic particles from gangue particles to achieve the purpose of beneficiation. Due to the discontinuous magnetic action of pulsating square wave magnetic force, higher tailings concentration and larger tailings circulation would produced when the upward water flow force were increased. In order to solve this problem, the power supply mode of column magnetic separator is changed from pulsating square wave magnetic field to continuous traveling wave magnetic field, so as to reduce the grade of tailings as much as possible. On the basis of this improvement, the conventional column magnetic separator and the column magnetic separator with traveling−wave magnetic field were applied to process the fine sieve samples of a magnetite after two grinding in the laboratory, and the separation indexes were compared. The test results showed that the tailing grade of the column magnetic separator with traveling−wave magnetic field was obviously 1 ~ 1.5 percentage points lower than that of the column magnetic separator with pulsating square wave magnetic field, while the concentrate grade and fine mineral yield were basically unchanged.