National Engineering Research Center of Industrial Wastewater Detoxication and Resource Recovery, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Key Laboratory of Special Functional and Smart Polymer Materials of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi, 710072, People's Republic of China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Aug;30(36):86047-86059. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-28516-7. Epub 2023 Jul 3.
Ore resources in the mining process form a large number of unmanageable tailings, mostly inhalable fine mineral particles, into the environment will cause serious pollution, and recycling is a precious resource. The cyclone classification provides the possibility for the recovery and exploitation of fine particles, but the recovery and utilization rate of conventional cyclone separation is seriously low, and the performance urgently should be optimized. In the present study, a new type of volute feed was proposed to strengthen the classification and recovery process of fine mineral particles. Combined with numerical simulation and experimental research, the effects of various structural parameters and operating parameters on the flow field distribution, particle motion, and classification performance were systematically examined. The obtained results reveal that the new volute feed structure can effectively reduce the internal turbulence and improve the flow field stability and particle classification efficiency. Compared with the traditional hydrocyclone, the classification efficiency of fine particles with new feed structure increases by 10-18%. Increasing underflow diameter and feed pressure and reducing overflow diameter and feed concentration are also beneficial to lessening classification particle size and enhancing classification performance. The currently achieved outcomes can provide valuable guidelines for further development of novel hydrocyclones.
在采矿过程中，矿石资源形成了大量难以处理的尾矿，其中大部分是可吸入的细矿物颗粒，如果进入环境将造成严重污染，但同时也是一种宝贵的资源。旋流器分级为细颗粒的回收和开发提供了可能性，但传统旋流器分离的回收利用率严重偏低，其性能亟待优化。本研究提出了一种新型的蜗壳进料方式，以加强细矿物颗粒的分级和回收过程。通过数值模拟和实验研究，系统地考察了各种结构参数和操作参数对流场分布、颗粒运动和分级性能的影响。结果表明，新型蜗壳进料结构可以有效降低内部湍流，提高流场稳定性和颗粒分级效率。与传统水力旋流器相比，新型进料结构的细颗粒分级效率提高了 10-18%。增大底流口直径和进料压力，减小溢流口直径和进料浓度也有利于减小分级粒径，增强分级性能。目前的研究结果可为新型水力旋流器的进一步开发提供有价值的指导。
