Triboelectric separation of a starch-protein mixture – Impact of electric field strength and flow rate

Abstract

Triboelectric separation is a method for separating dry particulate systems due to their different electrostatic chargeability. Previous applications are limited to the separation of coarse powders. The aim of the present study is to examine the influence of the flow conditions and the influence of the electric field strength on the separation efficiency of starch and protein particles. Very fine organic powders are separated in a simple bench scale electrostatic separator to extend this technique to powders below 50 µm. The influence of different gas flow rates in the turbulent flow regime on particle charging and subsequent separation is investigated.As an organic model substrate, a mixture of barley starch and whey protein was used. The tribocharger consists of a PTFE charging tube and a rectangular separation chamber where an electric field is applied between two electrodes. The particles are conveyed through the charging tube and charged by frictional contact with the tube wall. It is shown that different gas flow rates at a turbulent flow regime in the charging tube did not change the separation characteristics. In contrast, increasing electrical field strength increases separation efficiency of protein particles regardless of gas flow conditions. The proportion of starch at the anode is the same for all the investigated parameters.