Which device uses diamonds' affinity for grease to separate them from other minerals?

Which device uses diamonds' affinity for grease to separate them from other minerals?

• A. Dense media separation
• B. Heavy media separation
• C. Open-pit mining
• D. Grease belt

Answer: (D)

Diamonds have a strong surface affinity for grease, which lets a separation method specifically capture them from other minerals. In a grease belt setup, a belt coated with grease passes through the ore; diamonds stick to the grease while other minerals do not, so the diamonds can be scraped off and collected. This method works well for alluvial diamond recovery because it leverages the hydrophobic nature of diamond surfaces. Other separation methods like dense media separation and heavy media separation rely on density differences in a liquid medium, not on surface adhesion to grease, so they operate on different principles. Open-pit mining is a mining method, not a separation device. So the grease belt is the device that uses diamonds' affinity for grease to separate them from other minerals.

Diamonds have a strong surface affinity for grease, which lets a separation method specifically capture them from other minerals. In a grease belt setup, a belt coated with grease passes through the ore; diamonds stick to the grease while other minerals do not, so the diamonds can be scraped off and collected. This method works well for alluvial diamond recovery because it leverages the hydrophobic nature of diamond surfaces. Other separation methods like dense media separation and heavy media separation rely on density differences in a liquid medium, not on surface adhesion to grease, so they operate on different principles. Open-pit mining is a mining method, not a separation device. So the grease belt is the device that uses diamonds' affinity for grease to separate them from other minerals.