Experimental study of a tribo-aero-electrostatic separator for finely-grinded matter
Résumé
The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of several factors that affect the selective sorting of fine particles in a two-rotating-disks-type tribo-aero-electrostatic separator. The experiments are carried out on a synthetic mixture composed of 50% Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and 50% Polystyrene (PS) particles of size 500 to 1000 μm. The six factors under study are: the high voltage, the rotation speed of the disks, the duration of the tribo-charging process, the duration of the separation, the fluidisation air flow rate, and the initial mass of the granular mixture to be processed. The performance of the separator is evaluated by setting up a measurement system that enables the continuous and simultaneous recording of the charges and the masses of the separated products. The conclusions of this study will serve at the optimum design of an industrial electrostatic separator for the recycling of micronized plastics from waste electric and electronic equipment.