The mechanism of disintegration of agglomerates in a non-uniform electric field was studied experimentally and numerically. An external electric field was formed between an upper electrode made of wire mesh and a lower electrode comprising a metal plate. The dielectric particle layers on the lower electrode were charged by induction, and straight-chain agglomerates were formed on the surface of the particle layers by dipole interactions between the particles based on dielectric polarization. In the electric field, the charged agglomerates levitated under the influence of the Coulomb forces, and the charged agglomerates disintegrated with rotation when approaching the upper electrode. The experimental study and analysis of the numerical motion of the agglomerate showed that the charge distribution in the agglomerate generates torques around the centroid of the agglomerate in the non-uniform electric field around the upper electrode, and the centrifugal force acting on the rotating particles causes disintegration of the agglomerates. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.