The mechanism of additional segregation of minerals by density in the bed of the centrifugal-vibrating concentrator

Abstract

In this study we tested a centrifugal vibration concentrator developed by the Institute of Mining of the North SB RAS. Unlike existing analogues, the working body of the concentrator performs vibrations directed along its rotation axis. The test results showed a high degree of influence of the vibration frequency on the extraction of heavy minerals. The new centrifugal concentrator has the ability to control the parameters of vibrations, enabling an active use of the new effective mechanism for segregation (trapping) of heavy components. The best level of extraction of heavy minerals (63.9 %) was achieved with an oscillation frequency of 22 Hz and an amplitude of 2 mm when separating an artificial mixture consisting of river sand and magnetite with a grain size of –0.5 mm. The accumulative bed of heavy minerals in the working organ of the centrifugal vibration concentrator passes into an active loosened state with an oscillation amplitude of more than 1.5 mm. Experimental selection and justification of the most rational regime conditions is applicable in the case of processing natural mineral complexes.