PURPOSE: To enable separation of electrically conducting particles from electrical insulator particles by constituting a device so that the electrically conducting particles repelled from an electrically conductive surface are attracted to a separating electrode and providing the separating electrode for laterally separating the electrically conductive particles from the electric insulator particles.

CONSTITUTION: A mixture composed of carbon particles 3 and tobacco particles 4 is supplied to a rotary drum 5 from a vibrating conveyor 2 and high-voltage charge is sprayed from above a falling curtain of both particles 3, 4 by a discharging pin. Then, the carbon particles 3 are charged, but when falling, the particles discharge the electricity to a metallic surface of the drum 5 to have similar electric charge as the drum 5 has, and the carbon particles 3 are repelled from the drum 5. At the same time, the carbon particles 3 are attracted upward to an electrifying plate 11 and the discharging pin 8 with opposite polarity and are scattered so as to be removed from the rotary drum 5. The tobacco particles 4 of the electric insulator substantially hold positive charge and are fastened on the grounded drum 5 due to Coulomb force and fall down from the drum 5 or are removed therefrom by a brush 6.