selFrag consumes little energy in spite of the very high voltages used. With pulsed technology, the energy is actually emitted in very short, abrupt pulses lasting only a few micro-seconds. Figuratively speaking, you could compare these pulses to brief but forceful needle pricks. One pulse only has an energy value of a half to two kilojoules. This more or less corresponds to the energy content of a spoonful of yogurt. In typical cases, five pulses are emitted per second. Between 6 and 12 kW is needed for each working electrode. Depending on the target specimens, this allows up to one tonne of material to be processed per hour.

So is that a lot of energy, or not very much? – This depends on the overall process in question. Because selective fragmentation exposes grain interfaces, inclusions and any impurities that might be present, this eliminates energy-intensive comminution down to a few µm in many cases. Also, in other cases, simply gravity separation can replace other more costly separating that are often  problematic for the environment. In these cases, selFrag substantially improves the energy efficiency of the overall process as compared to conventional methods.