MINERAL DRESSING

METALLURGY , SEM 3

MODULE 4

LECTURE 8
Ref:
Chapter 14 , “ Mineral processing”, S.K.JAIN, CBS PUBLISHERS &
DISTRIBUTORS P Ltd, N Delhi, 2012.
Chapters 19, “Principles of Mineral Dressing” , A. M. Gaudin, Tata Mc
Graw Hill, 1993 .
1
ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION

2
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
The ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY of a mineral can be used to separate it from a non conducting mineral or
gangue particles.

Two bodies having

same electrical charges will repel
opposite charges will attract
each other.

The total charge of a mixture of conducting and non conducting particles is NEUTRAL.

The mixture is fed to a HIGHLY CHARGED CONDUCTING SURFACE.

The CONDUCTING PARTICLES GET SIMILAR CHARGES as of the SURFACE.

THEY WILL BE REPELLED.

They are separated out from the non conducting particles.

Even mixture of materials with different amounts of conductivities can be effectively separated.

CONDUCTIVE MINERALS- Native Au,Ag,Cu etc, graphite, garnet, chalacocite,black sand etc.

NON CONDUCTIVE MINERALS – Calcite, Slate, Spinel, Gypsum, Granite etc. 3

ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION

The mineral can be CHARGED by

CONDUCTANCE,

ION BOMBARDMENT,

FRICTION,

THERMAL STRAIN,

LIGHT or RADIATION CONDUCTIVITY.

4
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

METHODS
ELECTROSTATIC,
DIELECTRIC and
ELECTROSMOSIS ( obsolete ) .

1.ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.

Expose the mineral particles to HIGH VOLTAGE.

They may capture or lose electrons.
They will be attracted to or repelled from other charged bodies.
Static electricity is the imbalance of positive and negative charges.

CHARGING OF THE MINERAL PARTICLES-

1. Induction and Conduction – When the particles pass over a metal surface,
charged by
induction, they get charged by conduction .
2. Friction – The particles move with great friction over the surface. They get
charged. 5
These charged particles go through a high intensity electric field.
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.

CHARGING OF THE MINERAL PARTICLES-

3. The mineral particles can be charged by ION

BOMBARDMENT too.

Air in the gap between an electrically charged

wire
and a grounded conducting body get Ionised .

Mineral particles entering the electric field are

bombarded with the gaseous ions.
Ionised air

This gives negative charge to the particles.

6
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.

1. Belt type Electrostatic separator.

It has a moving horizontal / inclined end less belt .

conducting particles
The material is fed to the belt.
Field application
Charged belt
An electrostatic field is applied to it. Feed

The conducting particles stick to the belt and are carried to

the top . Non conducting particles

The non conducting particles roll down to the lower end.

7
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.

1. Roller type Electrostatic separator - The BLAKE – MORSCHER MACHINE

The conducting surface is REVOLVING ROLL. Feed

It draws feed from a bin.

Electrified roll

The conducting particles are removed from the ore Better

path. conductors

Poorer
The non-conducting particles fall free. conductors

8
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.
FEED
2. Roller type ( HUFF ) Electrostatic separator. ROTATING
GROUNDED FINE
The roll is GROUNDED. ROLL WIRE
BRUSH
The CHARGED ELEMENT - a FINE WIRE on one side of the roll.
NON CONDUCTING CONDUCTING
PARTICLES PARTICLES
The ELECTRICAL SPRAY emanates from wire.
It sprinkles CHARGE on ALL PARTICLES fed through a CHUTE above the roll.

The conducting particles get charge and loose it quickly on passing through the grounded roll.

They fall undeflected.

The NON CONDUCTING particles also acquire a charge.

This INDUCES a charge of OPPOSITE SIGN on the grounded roll ( They get attracted to the roll ) .
9
These particles stick on to the roll. They slowly drop down due to leakage of charge.
ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION

ROLLER TYPE MACHINE

10
 HIGH TENSION ELECTROSTATIC ROLL SEPARATOR
High-tension electrostatic separators utilize the electrical
conductivity difference between the various minerals within an ore
feed.

The high-tension roll electrostatic separator (HTR)

Has a grounded roll.

It transports the feed material through the high

voltage ionizing field (corona) where particles are
charged by ion bombardment.

Nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide or oxygen is used as the

gas for ionisation.

Conducting particles pass their charge to the grounded

carrier electrode (roll).

They are thrown freely from the roll by

centrifugal and gravity forces.

Non-conducting particles are pinned to the carrier

electrode.

They and are transported further around the roll

periphery.
Now they drop from the electrode surface, either
because their charge dissipates or 11
by mechanical means.
 HIGH TENSION ELECTROSTATIC PLATE SEPARATOR

The high-tension electrostatic plate separator (HTP) has

a curved, inclined, electrically grounded plate.

The feed mixture is introduced onto this.

Particles will travel over and down the surface due to gravity.

Conductive particles obtain surface charge by induction when

subjected to the electric field created between the static and
grounded electrodes.

The non-conductive particles remain uncharged.

The electrical attraction of the static electrode lifts charged

conductors from the grounded plate.

It separates them from the non-conductive particles.

They then discharge at a different trajectory resulting in mineral

separation. 12
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION.
The CONDUCTIVITY OF A MINERAL is very small.

The conductivity of the minerals differ from mineral to mineral.

There will be difference in the conductivity of minerals of the same species too
due to occlusion of moisture and presence of solid solutions.

The conductivity of a mineral is affected by

moisture,
dissolved / absorbed impurities.

They affect the efficiency of the Electrostatic separator.

DRYING of the minerals improves the efficiency.

13
ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
RELATIVE CONDUCTIVITIES OF SPECIFIC METALS AND MINERALS..

Table on P358 jain

14
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION

 A DIELECTRIC MATERIAL ( Dielectric for short) is an

electrical  insulator .

It contains POLAR MOLECULES.

The molecules will generally be in random

orientations when no electric field is applied
( INSULATOR ).

 An applied electric field will polarize the material .

Dielectric material between two parallel conducting plates.

This decreases the effective electric field between the

plates.

The DIELECTRIC CONSTANT ‘k’ - the amount of

reduction of effective electric field . 

15
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

DIELECTRIC SEPARATION.

This method is based on the DIFFERENCE IN THE DIELECTRIC

CONSTANTS OF MINERALS to be separated.

A FLUID with dielectric constant , say, X is used.

‘X’ is between the dielectric constants ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ of the two minerals to
be separated.

The dielectric field is applied to the suspension of the minerals in a

suitable liquid ( mixture of kerosene and nitrobenzene ).

Particles with high dielectric constant are caught in the dielectric bed .

Those with low dielectric constant are discharged along with the
liquid.

The electric field is removed - Particles with high dielectric constant

are washed out from the dielectric bed. 16
 ELECTRICAL METHODS FOR MINERAL SEPARATION
MECHANISM OF ELECTRICAL SEPARATION-

DIELECTRIC SEPARATION.

The dielectric constant of

WATER - 81

SULPHIDES - > 81

CASSITERITE - 27.7
CUPRITE - 16.2
QUARTZ - 3-6.5
CORUNDUM - 3-5.3
CALCITE - 3-8.5

AIR - 1.0
BENZENE - 1.9
17
NITROBENZENE - 36.5
 FACTORS AFFECTING CONDUCTIVITY OF MINERALS.

1.SURFACE CONDITION OF THE MINERAL .

Should not be contaminated
Should be cleaned and dedusted.

2. TEMPERATURE.
Difference in the conductivity of the minerals can be increased by heating them.

3. TYPE OF MATERIAL.
They can be conductors ( metallic or ionic- high electron mobility ), insulators
( dielectric- low electron mobility) or semiconductors( electron mobility in between the other
two ).
As the applied field strength increases, the electron mobility in all the three
increases.
Using very high field potential – even dielectric behaves as conductor.
Semiconductors are very sensitive to impurities.

4. SPECIFIC GRAVITY, SIZE, SHAPE.

Max. treateble size depends on sp.gr and shape of the mineral particle.
Treatable size for sulphide particles – 3 mm – 50 microns
18
Finer particles cannot be treated efficiently – they will not flow freely in the
19
MISCELLANEOUS PROCESSES FOR SEPARATING MINERALS.

20
 MISCELLANEOUS PROCESSES FOR SEPARATING MINERALS.
1. DEPENDING ON COLOUR AND APPEARANCE.

Hand picking is the general practice.

Very laboorious method.

2. USE OF ELECTRICAL EYE.

Replaces
Eyes with Photovoltaic cells ,
Brain with vacuum tubes and magnetic relays and
Hands with compressed air/ mechanical arms.

3. DECREPITATION.
Minerals contain water.
When they are heated, they break due to mounting internal pressure.
They also break due to sudden expansion ( of the mineral which is a poor conductor )
Barite, quartz, calcite, fluorite etc decrepit faster.
They can be separated by heating.

4. AMALGAMATION . For the Recovery of Au. 21

THANK YOU.
22