Liberation of minerals by high-voltage electrical pulses

Liberation of minerals by the high voltage electrical pulses is a new specific liberation technology, capable of producing of the high percentage of the monomineral particles at disintegration of mineral aggregates. The specific liberation effect at the disintegration of rock by electrical pulses is due to the locality of the explosive plasma streamers at the interface of mineral components of the ore aggregates with different permittivities and electrical conductivities. Three models with calculation of the distribution of electrical fields in the solids water-system showed concentration of fields at the interface of solids and liquid and different mineral components of ore aggregates. The comparative liberation tests on magnetite and haematite samples showed the efficiency of the new technology on the basis of substantially smaller recovery of impurities of SiO2 and P into iron oxides concentrates, obtained from electrically disintegrated ores. The energy consumption and the equipment for liberation of minerals by high-voltage electrical pulses is discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.