Significant losses of diamonds during the enrichment of diamond-containing kimberlites according to the schemes of X-ray-luminescent separation (XLS) are due to the fact that some of the crystals have spectral-kinetic characteristics, the values of which go beyond the ranges of settings of X-ray-luminescent separators. The idea is substantiated and a technology is proposed to reduce the losses of weakly and anomalously luminescent diamonds in the XLS process of diamond-containing material using luminophore-containing compositions that provide an approximation of the anomalous spectral characteristics of non-recoverable diamonds to the standard parameters of natural crystals. With the chosen approach, a simultaneous increase in the convolution and the attenuation time constant of the X-ray luminescence signal is achieved. The effectiveness of the use of the luminophore FL-530, characterized by the presence of a pronounced slow component of the X-ray luminescence signal, and the anthracene luminophore with a large amplitude of the fast component, for modifying the spectral characteristics of diamonds is confirmed. The use of diesel fuel as an organic phase of a luminophore-containing emulsion that provides effective fixation of a luminophore-containing composition on diamonds is justified. The expediency of adding reagents to the organic and aqueous phases of the emulsion has been experimentally confirmed, which provide an increase in the adhesion and retention ability of the organic phase with respect to diamonds and luminophores or reduce the fixation of on kimberlite minerals. A mode of increasing the oleophilicity of the luminophore FL-530 by treatment with hydrophobizing reagents has been developed, which provides an increase in the retention capacity of the organic phase in relation to the luminophore and the efficiency of its fixation on the surface of diamonds.
Share this page on your timeline