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Study of Three-Phase Flow Field Characteristics in a Multi-Stage Friction-Shear Cavitating Waterjet for Flake
Xing Dong1,2, Yun Jiang3, Deqiang Peng4
1School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan 523083, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
A novel multi-stage friction-shear cavitating waterjet method effectively liberates flake graphite from impurities. This process significantly enhances fixed carbon content and reduces particle size in graphite concentrates.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mineral Processing
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Flake graphite possesses valuable properties like high electrical and thermal conductivity.
- Efficient liberation of flake graphite from gangue minerals is crucial for its applications.
- Existing methods face challenges in optimizing graphite liberation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a multi-stage friction-shear cavitating waterjet method for enhanced flake graphite liberation.
- To analyze the fluid dynamics of the waterjet process using computational simulations.
- To experimentally validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in improving graphite concentrate quality.
Main Methods:
- Design and fabrication of a specialized nozzle integrating fluid transport and grinding kinetics.
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using the Eulerian multiphase model to analyze three-phase flow.
- Experimental jet liberation tests to assess changes in graphite concentrate composition and particle size.
Main Results:
- Simulations revealed a distinct cavitation region at specific pressures, indicating strong cavitation generation.
- Experimental results showed a significant increase in fixed carbon content from 49.11% to 78.77%.
- Particle size reduction was observed, with D90 decreasing from 121.36 to 103.33 μm and average particle size from 62.78 to 55.02 μm.
Conclusions:
- The multi-stage friction-shear cavitating waterjet method effectively liberates flake graphite from gangue minerals.
- The treatment enhances the fixed carbon content and reduces particle size of graphite concentrates.
- This innovative approach offers a promising solution for improving graphite processing efficiency.
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