Theoretical aspects of conceptual multi-property mineral separator

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to develop a theoretical concept of multi-property mineral separator (MPMS). In general, most of the conventional mineral separators exploit a single physical property difference for beneficiation. However, the idea behind MPMS is to utilize multiple physical properties of particles in a single separator for beneficiation. Mathematical formulations were developed for conceptual MPMS, where physical properties of particles such as density, magnetic susceptibility, and surface work function will be exploited in a single separator. Simulations were carried out for tracing particle trajectories in MPMS using MATLAB. Simulation results indicate that separation efficiency can be enhanced by exploiting multiple physical properties of particles simultaneously in a single separator. Based on the developed theoretical model of MPMS in the present paper, the fabrication of a prototype separator is under construction. Experimental results and validation using prototype MPMS will be reported in near future.