XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 355
roughness, also inclined the cone for 10°, and tested the
equipment from 80 to 140 RPM.
This system was modified into two stages, using two
identical cones both rotating at 120 RPM at 10° inclina-
tion. The coarse fraction from the first stage was fed into
the second stage for additional separation, and the fine par-
ticles were collected and joined the fine particles separated
in the first stage. The same configuration was used to test
in a 10-Torr vacuum chamber and obtained similar prod-
uct quality, but the authors noted that the fine particles
were about 25% less in mass than separating in ambient
pressure.
Mitchell et al. (2023) adapted this concept and created
another version using 3D printing (Figure 5) to separate
milled particles of a mixture of barite, calcite and quartz.
The milled particles were divided into three size fractions:
coarse (300–500 µm), medium (180–300 µm) and fine
(180 µm). The authors analyzed the effects of equipment
parameters on the fine particle concentration, experimental
recovery and theoretical recovery rates, and reported that
these results were mostly affected by the diameter and angle
of the cone, as well as the inclination of the cone’s rota-
tion. As the cone was created with 3D printing, its surface
roughness (i.e., the layer height) also had some effect on the
particle separation results. Same as Berggren et al. (2011),
the authors also mentioned that finer particles will exhibit
larger motion loss when dropped onto the cone, due to the
larger surface area to mass ratio.
A 3D-printed conical centrifuge separation system was
created (Figure 6), based on and modified from Berggren et
al. (2011) and Mitchell et al. (2023). The system consists of
a cone (10 cm diameter) in the center of a sample recovery
dish (40 cm diameter). The dish is divided into 18 remov-
able plates. The cone is mounted onto a DC motor (RS Pro
Figure 4. (a) When particles drop onto the spinning cone, coarser particles tend to fall down faster, while
finer particles travel further along the cone. (b) As a result, finer particles will be more concentrated
further into the cone’s rotational path. (c) Illustration of the cone rotating on a 10° inclination angle. (d)
Demonstration of using the rotating cone to separate JSC-1A simulant (Berggren et al., 2011)
roughness, also inclined the cone for 10°, and tested the
equipment from 80 to 140 RPM.
This system was modified into two stages, using two
identical cones both rotating at 120 RPM at 10° inclina-
tion. The coarse fraction from the first stage was fed into
the second stage for additional separation, and the fine par-
ticles were collected and joined the fine particles separated
in the first stage. The same configuration was used to test
in a 10-Torr vacuum chamber and obtained similar prod-
uct quality, but the authors noted that the fine particles
were about 25% less in mass than separating in ambient
pressure.
Mitchell et al. (2023) adapted this concept and created
another version using 3D printing (Figure 5) to separate
milled particles of a mixture of barite, calcite and quartz.
The milled particles were divided into three size fractions:
coarse (300–500 µm), medium (180–300 µm) and fine
(180 µm). The authors analyzed the effects of equipment
parameters on the fine particle concentration, experimental
recovery and theoretical recovery rates, and reported that
these results were mostly affected by the diameter and angle
of the cone, as well as the inclination of the cone’s rota-
tion. As the cone was created with 3D printing, its surface
roughness (i.e., the layer height) also had some effect on the
particle separation results. Same as Berggren et al. (2011),
the authors also mentioned that finer particles will exhibit
larger motion loss when dropped onto the cone, due to the
larger surface area to mass ratio.
A 3D-printed conical centrifuge separation system was
created (Figure 6), based on and modified from Berggren et
al. (2011) and Mitchell et al. (2023). The system consists of
a cone (10 cm diameter) in the center of a sample recovery
dish (40 cm diameter). The dish is divided into 18 remov-
able plates. The cone is mounted onto a DC motor (RS Pro
Figure 4. (a) When particles drop onto the spinning cone, coarser particles tend to fall down faster, while
finer particles travel further along the cone. (b) As a result, finer particles will be more concentrated
further into the cone’s rotational path. (c) Illustration of the cone rotating on a 10° inclination angle. (d)
Demonstration of using the rotating cone to separate JSC-1A simulant (Berggren et al., 2011)