ELECTRICAL SEPARATION

By Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

Classification of minerals on the electrical properties:

Conductors are minerals with high conductivity.
Semiconductors are minerals that have an average (low)
conductivity.
Non-conductors (dielectrics) are minerals that don't conduct
electricity.
Conductores: Anthracite, argentite, arsenopyrite, bornite, braunite,
cassiterite (ferriferous), chalcocite, chalcopyrite, cobaltite, columbite,
copper, covellite, chromite, enargite, galena, gold, graphite, hematite,
ilmenite, magnetite, manganite, marcasite, molibdenite, pyrite, pyrolusite,
pyrrhotite, rutile, silver, smaltite, titanomagnetite, wolframite.
Semiconductors: bauxite, cassiterite, cuprite, limonite, magnesite,
siderite, sphalerite, vermiculite
Non-conductors: Actinolite, albite, almandite, andesite, anglesite,
anhydrite, apatite, azurite, barite, beryl, biotite, calcite, celestite, cerussite,
chrome, chrisocolla, chlorite, corundum, crocidolite, crocoite, chromite,
cryolite, diamond, diaspore, diopside, dolomite, enstatite, epidote, feldspar,
fluorite, franklinite, gibbsite, quartz, halite, monazite, muscovite, phlogopite,
scheelite, spinel, spodumene, staurolite, stibnite, stibnite, sylvite, talc,
titanite, topaz, tourmaline, wollastonite, wulfenite, xenotime, zircon.
It is easy to separate conductors out of non-conductors. It is more
complicated to separate semiconductors out of conductors or nonconductors.
The electrical separation is very useful for separate next minerals:

Gold and platinum

Diamond and rock minerals
Ilmenite and apatite, garnet, tourmaline, zircon
Cassiterite and monazite, zircon, scheelite, spodumene
Rutil and monazite, zircon
Monazite and cassiterite, columbite, rutil

The electrical separation is used for:

Separation of placer deposits of rare earth minerals

Separation of tin and tungsten ores
Separation of ferrous metals ores
Separation of non-metallic minerals: quartz, feldspar, coal, mica
Secondary metals: non-ferrous and ferrous metals, solid waste
Dedusting and dust collection
Separation of materials by size: building materials, ores

TYPES OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION

There are 6 types of electrical separation of minerals:

Electrical separation
Electrostatic separation
Dielectric separation
Tribo-electrostatic separation
Tribo adhesive separation
Separation in the coronadischarge field

Rare types of electrical separation of minerals:

Electrical classification by size and shape

Pyroelectric separation
Tribo-aero-electrostatic separation
Pneumoelectric separation
Fluidising-electrostatic separation
Crown-magnetic separation
Opto-electrical separation

Electrical separation is used frequently with magnetic separation and

gravity separation. Flotation can be used for eliminate silicates out of the
iron concentrate.
Next effects exist in nature:

Thermoelectric effect
Pyroelectric effect
Photoconductivity
Photo-electromotive-force effect (EMF)

Photoluminescence
Piezoelectric effect
Triboelectric effect
Triboluminescence

TYPES OF ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATORS

Electrostatic separators
Corona-electrostatic separators
Tribo-electrostatic separators
Tribo adhesive separators (TAS)
Dielectric separators
Electrostatic classifiers

References
https://sites.google.com/site/concentrationofminerals/how-to-choose-a-method-for-theseparation-of-minerals/electrical-separation

Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

February 3, 2016
nataliapetrovsky@gmail.com