Mitigating particle-electrode collision in electrostatic separators: A segmented electrode approach

Abstract

Driven by recent progress in electrostatic separation techniques, there is growing interest in their industrial applications, particularly for waste recycling processes. This study investigates the effectiveness of two electrostatic separator configurations, with a particular focus on mitigating particle-electrode collisions, a significant challenge in conventional designs. To address this limitation, a novel segmented electrode configuration is proposed to improve particle sorting efficiency while minimizing collision events. The separation performance has been assessed through a numerical model, with the inclination angles of the electrodes held constant. A final verification of the model has been carried out using a high-speed camera. The Matlab-based numerical model accurately predicts experimental results, validating its suitability for further optimization studies. The results demonstrate the elimination of the charge/mass ratio limitations reported in previous studies, and highlight that electrodes segmentation significantly improves the particles’ deflection with more than $38$ % for the final position with same initial conditions.