Electrostatic Separation of Fine Particles in Vibrated Fluidized Beds

Very fine particles which cannot be fluidized by means of a flowing gas alone because of entrainment may be effectively individualized and retained in the bed through a combination of gas at low rate flow and mechanical vibrations of selected frequency and amplitude. A mixture of very fine particles may be fluidized and successfully separated and/or concentrated by means of electrostatic fields. Results are presented of a factorial experiment in which the conditions of temperature, humidity, and voltage were investigated for the separation of a (50-50 by weight) synthetic mixture of iron and glass powder of particle size ranging from 15-45μm. A new and highly efficient particle collection mechanism is introduced, and mathematical models of the process are presented as part of the optimization work.