Importance

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Abstract

The invention concerns a process as well as an apparatus for separating broken goods, consisting of broken nibs or beans and their shells and especially the separation of broken cacao beans (nibs) from the cacao shells in an electrostatic manner. In this connection the broken goods are electrostatically charged in fractionated configuration within a charging area between two differently charged electrodes and thereafter the beans and shells are differently deflected on downfalling within a homogeneous electrical field generated by two other electrodes defining the downfall section. The broken beans and shells then separated by means of a mechanical separator into two different product streams, consisting essentially of a stream of broken nibs and a stream of shells, which product streams are then removed. Excellent results in separating the above mentioned particles are gained using a relatively small and inexpensive equipment, when such results could up to now only be received by means of costly winnowing machines.

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First Claim