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(Ed.)
Many of the methods to classify and concentrate minerals and the subsequent extraction of metals takes place in water-based environments (aqueous solutions). Sustainable processing through the reduction of water consumption will become a key factor to make mining operations viable in the long term. In humid environments, capillary condensation of water can occur between the particle and substrate. The objective herein is to identify separation windows in which control of relative air humidity (RH) yields different substrate adhesion for hydrophilic and hydrophobic particles of different values of interfacial energy. Plasma cleaned glass beads, and trichloro(octadecyl)silane (TCOD) treated beads were poured on a plasma cleaned glass disk and an impact caused the detachment of particles. Impact tests performed under a range of RH showed that separation of plasma cleaned and TCOD treated particles can be achieved in 80% of the tests at humidity levels between 45% and 55%. The recovery of plasma cleaned particles was five times greater than TCOD treated particles at humidity levels between 50% and 55%.
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