Experimental substantiation of using ultrasound and electrochemical exposure in adhesive separation of diamond-bearing raw materials from Nakyn kimberlite field

The article describes the studies into the composition and attachment of hydrophilic formations on the surface of diamond crystals from the primary deposits and placers within Nakyn kimberlite field. The comparative analyses of the research findings and the similar studies are accomplished at the institutes of IPKON RAS and NIGP ALROSA using diamond crystals extracted from kimberlite ore from Mirny field. It is found that the hydrophilic coatings on diamonds, which inadhesive to grease and, accordingly, unrecoverable with adhesive separation from diamond-bearing products of processing of diamond-bearing raw materials from Mirny and Nakyn kimberlite fields, have the identical mineral structure. Leather coats on the crystals from the primary deposits and placers within Nakyn field contain water-filled pores which have the acoustic resistance much smaller than diamonds have. Based on the data obtained in the cycle of adhesive separation of products from processing diamond-bearing raw material from Nakyn field, the technology of joint ultrasound and electrochemical exposure, developed at IPKON RAS for the similar diamond-bearing material processing conditions, is substantiated. The benchmark tests prove efficiency of the proposed technology which, owing to the synergistic effect enables removal of more than 95% of hydrophilic formations from the surface of diamond crystals, which ensures the increment in recovery of diamonds –6+1 mm in size in concentrate by 6.3%.

Dvoichenkova G. P., Podkamenny Yu. A., Timofeev A. S., Nikitina Yu. N. Experimental substantiation of using ultrasound and electrochemical exposure in adhesive separation of diamond-bearing raw materials from Nakyn kimberlite field. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2023;(10):74-88. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2023_10_0_74.

G.P. Dvoichenkova^1,2, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Chief Researcher; Professor, e-mail: dvoigp@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0940-3880,
Yu.A. Podkamenny^1,2, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Researcher; Assistant Professor, e-mail: mirniy.yuriy@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4104-9113,
A.S. Timofeev¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Researcher, e-mail: Timofeev_ac@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3382-6007,
Yu.N. Nikitina, Leading Engineer, Yakutniproalmaz Institute of PJSC ALROSA, 678174, Mirny, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia,
¹ Institute of Problems of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources of Russian Academy of Sciences, 111020, Moscow, Russia,
² Polytechnic Institute (branch), M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, 678170, Mirny, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia.

G.P. Dvoichenkova, e-mail: dvoigp@mail.ru.

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