A PHYSICAL MODEL OF SEPARATION PROCESS BY MEANS OF JIGS

Abstract

In the case of ideal separation of minerals, partition into products is conducted according to a specific partition feature which is, for instance, the density of raw material. Usually, enrichment in a jig is described by means of the particle density as a partition feature. However, the degree of particle loosening in the jig's bed is influenced by, among others, the particle free settling velocity. After some time of the pulsating movement duration, particle segregation along the vertical axis according to the settling velocity will occur. It can be said that the particle free settling velocity constitutes a feature characteristic of the feed heterogeneous in terms of physical and geometric properties in the jigging process. In the article on the basis of heuristic considerations, a physical model of the partition function (recovery of the i -th fraction), in which interactions between particles in the working bed of the jig are taken into account, is derived. A cause of the formation of the mechanism of particle dispersion around equilibrium layers is given and the accuracy of particle partition for a narrow size fraction in two variations, i.e. in conditions when a partition feature is, accordingly, the particle density and settling velocity, is calculated. These calculations allowed for the analysis of causes of process and inherent dispersion formation which takes place during the jigging process.