An integral assessment of the role of critical process parameters on jigging

Abstract

In jigging, amplitude and frequency of pulsation, and feed characteristics are the most important process parameters. Effects of these parameters on particle segregation during jigging are studied and explained through experimental as well as numerical means by drawing parallel to liquid/solid fluidization process. This is permissible because jigging could also be viewed as a repetitive process of fluidization and defluidization. Unlike a normal fluidization process, in jigging, particle segregation takes place under rapid rate of change of water velocity. The rate of change of water velocity is decided by the maximum water velocity of the jig cycle, which in turn is controlled primarily by the amplitude. Experimental evidence of the role of maximum water velocity on jigging is given. Next, the feed to the jig that varies in both size and density is conceived as a mixture of many density variant binary systems. This way, the effect of feed characteristic is conveniently analyzed through several indicators of the binary feed namely size ratio, volume fraction, and particle size. Finally, the effect of frequency is studied by considering the particles in the jig bed analogous to tuned mass dampers. This concept is used to explain the preferential segregation of particles at certain jig frequency.