Production of synthetic quartz powders by electric discharge fragmentation

The paper considers the efficiency of destruction of artificial quartz crystals synthesized by hydrothermal method. The data on specific energy consumption for destruction by means of electric pulse and electrohydraulic impacts are given. It is shown that when quartz material fractured to the size of less than 1 mm by electric pulse impact more than 60% of the product by mass corresponds to the useful fraction of less than 0.5 mm. At the same time reduction of the applied voltage leads to an increase in the average product coarseness. In experiments on further additional fragmenting of material larger than 0.5 mm by electrohydraulic impact it was revealed that the efficiency of quartz destruction by this method depends, to a greater extent, not on the pulse energy, but on the rate of energy release, and to increase the productivity of the process it is necessary to use discharges with high brisance.