PARTICLE TRIBOELECTRIFICATION AND ITS USE IN THE ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION PROCESS

Triboelectrification of solids is known since ancient times. Empirical experiments allow materials to be arranged in so-called “triboelectric series”. Reproducibility, however, is poor in most cases, and the basic mechanisms of the charge transfer are still a subject of speculation. The difference between tribocharging of conductors and insulators is discussed in this paper, and the basic equations for these effects are presented. Triboelectrification of solids has two aspects, one beneficial and one hazardous. The hazardous aspect manifests itself in electrostatic discharges (ESD), which can damage computer equipment, as well as causing fires and explosions during transport and storage of solids and liquids. The beneficial aspect triboelectrification is widely used in many industrial applications, such as the Xerox copying technique, powder coating, pre-charging of fabric filters, electrostatically enhanced cyclone separators, oil mist filtration, aerosol particle collection, and finally, the electrostatic separation of materials. The second part of this paper focuses on industrial electrostatic separation techniques using tribocharging of particles; the separation of potassium minerals, coal beneficiation, and polymer separation for waste processing are presented.