Dry electrostatic separation of granular materials

Abstract

The expanding role of electrostatic separation as applied to mineral, agricultural and other related fields is covered. Novel and existing forms of electrostatic separation are classified in two broad forms, separation of charge particles and separation of neutral particles. Two forms of industrial machinery for separating charged particles are presented, one by surface conductivity and the other by enhanced triboelectric differences. A recently developed multifield technology is presented for dielectrophoretic electrostatic separation of neutral particles with differences in particle polarizability. The basis for each form of separation is discussed along with examples.<>