Event-driven simulations of insulating grains in an external electric field

In this work we employ event-driven particle dynamics simulations for a system of spherical insulating grains interacting with an external electric field. This system resembles the electrostatic particle separation present on some industrial processes. Here, the particles collide inelastically with each other and with the container walls, for a constant normal and tangential restitution coefficients. During the collisions, the grains can acquire electric charge due to triboelectric contact charging, since two different species of insulating particles are mixed. Particle–particle electric interactions are not considered. Grains are also subjected to the gravitational field and rotation, and are confined in a cubic box with thermal walls in order to prevent the static equilibrium state. We calculate the mass and charge density profile, and the particle charge distribution for different values of the electric field and temperature of the walls. The particle charge distribution and the effect of particle sizes on the separation process were also investigated.