The Conti-E-Impulse Comminution (ELIZE) is a co-project worked on by the Institute for Mineral Processing Machines (TU Bergakademie Freiberg), the Endowed Chair of Construction Machines (TU Dresden), as well as the companies Haver Engineering GmbH, G.E.O.S. Ingeniergesellschaft mbH and Thomas Werner Industrielle Elektronik e.K.
ELIZE: Eco-friendly, high-voltage impulse technology
The core of this project is a hybrid-technology, functioning by means of selective pre-processing of ore and industrial minerals via high-voltage impulses – preferably along the grain boundaries of the mineral structure – and a subsequent mechanical comminution of the mineral.
This way, scarce elements like indium, tungsten, or germanium can be extracted in a low-wear, resource-efficient, dust-free, and thus economically friendly manner.
As far as secondary raw materials are concerned, the Conti-E-Impulse Comminution can be used for slag processing in particular. In so doing, not only can valuable resources be recovered; also, residual materials can be released from heavy metals and reutilized as an aggregate instead of being stored in landfills.
Process flow chart (Conti-E-Pulse Comminution); © TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Electronic impulse comminution in a process room
The applied electronic impulse comminution (EIC) takes place in a process room not requiring any mechanical moving parts.
In it are two electrodes, at least one of which usually contacts the solid material to be pre-processed loosely (generally the grounding electrode with zero potential).
The second electrode is then biased with a rapidly rising impulse voltage of up to 600 kV. Both the mineral as well as the electrodes are surrounded by a liquid dielectric (normally water).
A scalable impulse generator allows for the continuous use of this innovative technology on an industrial scale.
Nomination for the Bauma Innovation Award 2019
The Bauma Innovation Award will be presented in five categories and awarded at this year’s Bauma, taking place from 8 to 14 April in Munich, by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), the Messe München as well as umbrella organizations of the German construction industry.
The Bauma, held every three years, is the world’s leading trade fair for construction, building material and mining machines, construction vehicles and equipment.
With the award, the organizers acknowledge research and development teams from companies and universities that bring resource-, nature-, and human-minding, practicable cutting-edge technology for the construction, building materials, and mining industries to market maturity.
The Conti-E-Impulse Comminution (ELIZE) project is one of the 15 final round nominees in the research and science category.