Pulsed electric discharge for environmentally friendly cleaning and crushing of quartz sand

The paper presents the results of research on the use of a pulsed electric discharge in aqueous media for the pretreatment (preliminary crushing and washing) of quartz sand in the glass industry. The averaged granulometric and elemental composition of quartz sands of the Muraevnya deposit has been studied (explored reserves are 31 million tons). The efficiency of the proposed method for treating quartz sand for its subsequent cleaning from undesirable impurities (primarily iron and clay oxides) is shown, preliminary parameters of the treatment process, changes in the granulometric and elemental composition of raw materials, and specific energy consumption for its treatment are determined. The main advantage of the technology is that it makes it possible to obtain such a degree of purification of quartz sand from impurities due to the destruction of impurities aggregated with silicon oxide particles, which is unattainable with standard flushing.