Separation of asbestos concentrates in a hydrocyclone

• Published in: NEWS of the Ural State Mining University no. 2; pp. 88 - 97
• Main Authors: Kosarev, Nikolay Petrovich, Potapov, Valentin Yakovlevich, Dolganov, Aleksey Vladimirovich, Potapov, Vladimir Valentinovich
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.06.2023
• ISSN: 2307-2091; 2500-2414
• DOI: 10.21440/2307-2091-2023-2-88-97

Relevance. Issues related to the operation of hydrocyclones in the asbestos industry for the separation of finely split asbestos fibers from rock impurities and non-fluffed asbestos needles used in the wet enrichment of brittle chrysotile asbestos, as well as some types of amphibole asbestos and in the purification of commercial grades of chrysotile asbestos of normal strength from magnetite are considered. Purpose. The purpose and objectives of the research is to study the operating modes of a hydrocyclone for the separation and desliming of asbestos products. Particular attention is paid to the behavior of particles inside the hydrocyclone. Methodology. The formulas presented in the literature for calculating the volumetric delivery of hydro-cyclones are analyzed. As a result, it was determined that the volumetric delivery of the hydrocyclone does not depend on the size of the sand nozzle and that the influence of the latter affects mainly the specific distribution of water between the discharge and sand products. Results. In the course of processing the obtained experimental data, the calculation results showed that, at different nozzles and feed heads, the movement of grains of separation mesh in the internal flow of hydrocyclones of the tested design occurs within 1 < Re < 20. Therefore, the accepted dependences of Ψ on Re when deriving the calculated formulas are correct. Conclusions. The volumetric delivery of hydrocyclones D = 75 mm and D = 200 mm of the tested design for feeding and draining depends on the feed head and the diameter of the framework nozzle. The established regularities in the behavior of particles of asbestos concentrates in hydrocyclones are of practical importance and can be used when choosing the technological parameters of their operation to achieve the specified conditions for the size of particle separation mesh.