TRANSACTION PAPER

A basic triboelectric series for heavy minerals from inductive electrostatic separation behaviour

D.N. Ferguson

Richards Bay Minerals, Richards Bay, South Africa

SYNOPSIS

The separation of certain minerals by electrostatic techniques can be difficult due to their similar electrical conductivity, and any technique to improve this can be useful in certain difficult separation applications. Triboelectric differences between minerals can result in certain minerals acquiring small positive or negative charges prior to inductive electrostatic separation. By changing the polarity of inductive separation, relative changes in mineral recovery can be observed, which may be beneficial. In this brief study a JKTech mineral liberation analyser (MLA) was used to evaluate the effect of polarity change on selected minerals present in the Richards Bay Minerals deposit, and an approximate triboelectric series based on this behaviour is presented.

“Full text available only in PDF format”

References

1. Manouchehri, H.R., Rao, K.H., and Forssberg, K.S.E. Review of electrical separation methods. Part 1: Fundamental aspects. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, vol. 17 no. 1, February 2000.         [ Links ]

2. Kelly, E.G. and Spottiswood, D.J. The theory of electrostatic separation: A review, Part II: Particle Charging, Minerals Engineering, vol. 2, no. 2, 1989. pp. 200-202.         [ Links ]

3. Fraas, F. Electrostatic Separation of Granular Materials, U.S. Bureau of Mines, vol. 603, 1962. p. 82.         [ Links ]

4. Sadowski, J., Sherrell, I., and Dobbins, M. Outotec Physical Separation Technology External Newsletter, Issue 2, December 2008.         [ Links ]