Electrostatic beneficiation of potash ores

A study of the effectiveness of electrostatic extraction of the KCl fraction from the potash ore by additive enhanced triboelectrification is presented. The separation process depends on adequate triboelectrification between the KaCl and NaCl fractions. The authors use reagents added to the ore and study their influence on the beneficiation effects. The experiments were carried out using a fluidized bed conveyor separator. The results show that significant KCl recovery can be achieved in a two-stage process with special pretreatment. Recoveries in the order of 50% of the total KCl mass were achieved with a KCl concentration of 92%. The dry electrostatic process looks sufficiently promising to be considered further by the potash industry. While the results point out what can be achieved industrially by this process, they also show the desirability of fundamental studies in the relatively unexplored field of additive enhanced triboelectrification.<>