Abstract: According to the invention there is provided a method of processing a mixture of minerals including the steps of: (a) providing a mixture of minerals which includes a metal containing mineral and one or more unwanted gangue minerals; (b) achieving a contact between the mixture of minerals and polymeric material that includes a mineral binding moiety which selectively binds to the metal containing mineral; and (c) separating the gangue minerals and the polymeric material which has the metal containing mineral bound thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing an underflow stream is provided suitable for removing an underflow stream from a separator, such as a mineral particle separator. In one aspect, the separator can include a discharge outlet for discharging the underflow stream, and the apparatus can include a source of pressurised fluid, a first conduit for fluidly connecting the pressurised fluid source to the discharge outlet such that the pressurized fluid is directed to impede the flow of the underflow stream in the first conduit, thereby creating a fluidisation zone, and a second conduit fluidly connected to the first conduit so that material from the fluidisation zone flows into the second conduit for removal from the apparatus.

Abstract: A technique using a curved channel of a spiral device to introduce a centrifugal force upon neutrally buoyant particles flowing in a fluid, e.g. water, to facilitate improved separation of such particles from the fluid is provided. As these neutrally buoyant particles flow through the channel, a tubular pinch effect causes the particles to flow in a tubular band. The introduced centrifugal force perturbs the tubular band (e.g. forces the tubular band to flow in a manner offset from a center of the channel), resulting in an asymmetric inertial migration of the band toward the inner wall of the channel. This allows for focusing and compaction of suspended particulates into a narrow band for extraction. The separation principle contemplated herein implements a balance of the centrifugal and fluidic forces to achieve asymmetric inertial equilibrium near the inner sidewall.

Abstract: A housing adapted to receive a flow of slurry has a central section, an upper section, and a lower section. A clean water introduction assembly has a horizontal manifold, a plurality of horizontal apertured pipes and a plurality of vertical water lines. A valve assembly has an upper valve and a lower valve. The upper valve is normally open. The lower valve is normally closed to feed clean water from the manifold through the water lines and out of the apertured pipes into the housing. In this manner water entering the housing will cause a hindered settling. The valve assembly is also operable in a back flow mode with the upper valve being closed and the lower valve being opened. In this manner water from the housing will flow from the apertured pipes. In this manner clogs in the holes of the apertured pipe are cleared. A coupling assembly is provided.

Abstract: A process for the production of alumina trihydrate by alkaline digestion of bauxite using the Bayer process in which aluminate liquor and insoluble residues are separated using a solid/liquid separation device (E; W2; DC) characterised in that the said slurry (21a; 41; 230?) is at least partially passed through a hydrocyclone (H1; H21; H22; H3) to improve and accelerate the separation of the sodium aluminate liquor from the insoluble residues in the slurry (21a; 41; 230?) containing the said liquor and the said residues and that supplies or is derived from the said liquid-solid separation device. In a first embodiment, at least one hydrocyclone is used at the upstream side of the settler-thickener, as clarifier of the pregnant liquor. In a second embodiment, at least one hydrocyclone is used as a thickener of insoluble residue mud. In a third embodiment, a hydrocyclone is used in combination with the causticisation settler.

Abstract: An apparatus (100, 100?, 100?) for separating organic material from inorganic material includes a container (1), a feeding apparatus (4), a charging apparatus (9), a lifting apparatus (21), a discharging apparatus (24) and a removal apparatus (7). The feeding apparatus (4) is located in the upper portion of the container (1), and it serves to introduce inorganic material polluted with organic material into the container (1). The charging apparatus (9) is located in the lower portion of the container, and it serves to introduce cleaning water into the container (1). The lifting apparatus (21) is located in the container (1), and it serves to substantially subject the inorganic and organic material to an upwardly directed component of movement. The lifting apparatus (21) and the charging apparatus (9) produce a fluidized layer (22) in the container (1) during operation of the apparatus (100, 100?, 100?). The fluidized layer (22) causes the organic material to be separated from the inorganic material.

Abstract: A hindered-settling fluid classifier is adapted for processing aggregate entrained in a flowing slurry. The classifier includes a classifier tank defined by walls, and having an inlet at its upstream end and an outlet at its downstream end. A slurry feed pipe is connected to the tank inlet for introducing the aggregate slurry into the classifier tank for processing. A plurality of laterally-extending flow control doors are spaced apart along a length of the classifier tank, and are adapted for interrupting flow of the aggregate slurry downstream from the tank inlet to the tank outlet. The doors define respective material settling zones each located a progressively greater distance downstream from the tank inlet. At least one water line is provided for generating an upwardly rising current in each of the material settling zones to control the settling velocity of aggregate floating downwardly towards a base of the classifier tank.

Abstract: A process for extracting and purifying naturally occurring zeolite from ores in the presence of other mineral phases by using mechanical dispersion and differential suspension to remove a majority of the clay content of the ore. The process continues by removal of contaminants with a higher mass to surface area ratio than that of the desired zeolite product by employing the properties of demineralized water in combination with a countercurrent flow separation column. No chemical flocculating or flotation agents are employed in the process. The process separates the particulate compound by using the separation effect of an electrical double layer which forms when the mixture is hydrated in a low electrolyte medium.

Abstract: An apparatus which manipulates particles suspended in a fluid includes a duct for the flow of the fluid in which the particles are suspended, and a mechanism for establishing an acoustic standing wave field across the width of the duct, the duct being formed with an expansion in width downstream of the standing wave field. In use, the particles in the fluid are displaced into a series of parallel bands by the acoustic standing wave field. The particles remain in these bands as the fluid flows downstream from the section in which the standing wave field is present. When the fluid reaches the expansion of the duct, the stream of fluid expands accordingly in width and, in so doing, the bands of particles are spread further apart, so increasing the spacing between adjacent bands. The bands can then be observed or separated from the duct.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating the membrane portion of waste egg shells from the hard mineral portion thereof, so that each can be used or further processed as desired, thereby addressing the environmental and economic issues associated with disposing of waste egg shells. The membrane and shell are separated by first processing waste egg shells so as to yield small waste egg shell particles. During this processing, the waste egg shell particles are at least slightly abraded, whereby the linking structure between the membrane and shell is at least partially disrupted. Thereafter, the waste egg shell particles are conveyed to a tank containing, preferably, water, and allowed to settle therethrough. As the waste egg shell particles settle, the particles experience turbulent forces in the liquid which cause the membrane and shell portions to fully separate. Since the membrane particles are very light, they tend to remain entrained in the liquid, where they are, for example, siphoned off and dewatered.

Abstract: A gravitational separation device is provided and the process is provided involving a packed column containing a packing material and having a device for vibrating the packed column and the particles. The gravitational separation device allows for efficient and effective separation of solid particles having different densities. The process preferably involves conditioning an aqueous pulp of mineral ore with a dispersant and feeding the dispersed aqueous pulp into an inlet into an intermediate section of the packed column and forming a high density bed of high density particles in a lower portion of the column, and forming a low density bed of low density particles in an upper portion of the column. Tailings are removed from the upper end of the column and concentrated mineral ore having reduced levels of gangue are removed from the bottom of the column.

Abstract: A lead shot recovery device is disclosed for reclaiming lead shot from a slurry of material taken from lake bottoms. In one embodiment, the device includes a sluice box having an open bottom riffle bed through which can pass a net upward liquid flow. The cooperative action of the upflow and the riffles causes lead shot to fall through the riffle bed and into a collection pit from which the lead shot can be continuously removed. A method for recovering lead shot using the recovery device is also disclosed.

Abstract: New systems for the purification of liquids containing suspended solids and/or dissolved solid materials basically include a conical flocculator unit and a conjoined conical clarifier unit. The flocculator has a cylindrical lower portion, frustum middle portion and large diameter cylindrical top portion while the clarifier is essentially a large diameter cylindrical top portion over a lower frustum portion. Water or other liquid to be purified enters the flocculator lower portion via opposed, unequally sized nozzles to assume a helical flow upward past a series of deflector plates positioned at the top of the lower flocculator portion while a sludge blanket forms therein. A double flume plus slot arrangement located at the junction of the flocculator with the clarifier separates solids from liquid as fluid flow from the flocculator passes into the clarifier where it is subjected to further separation of sludge from clarified liquid with part of the sludge being recycled to the flocculator.

Abstract: New systems for the purification of liquids containing suspended solids and/or dissolved solid materials basically include a conical flocculator unit and a conjoined conical clarifier unit. The flocculator has a cylindrical lower portion, frustum middle portion and large diameter cylindrical top portion while the clarifier is essentially a large diameter cylindrical top portion over a lower frustum portion. Water or other liquid to be purified enters the flocculator lower portion via opposed, unequally sized nozzles to assume a helical flow upward past a series of deflector plates positioned at the top of the lower flocculator portion while a sludge blanket forms therein. A double flume plus slot arrangement located at the junction of the flocculator with the clarifier separates solids from liquid as fluid flow from the flocculator passes into the clarifier where it is subjected to further separation of sludge from clarified liquid with part of the sludge being recycled to the flocculator.

Abstract: According to the invention, the grains of the hydrate slurry are separated by sedimentation where the dispersed bubbles of air are removed in course of the presizing, then a supplementary sizing is carried out. Preferably, a liquid free from hydrate grains is fed in to stream against the sinking grains. This liquid is advantageously the spent liquor of the hydrate filter. The apparatus according to the invention consists of a container with conical bottom, a feeding device, a slurry outlet stub and an overflow channel. The inlet stubs of the feeding device, however, are placed off-center and every stub is connected with a presizing equipment. This equipment is composed of a bundle of pipes and/or a pack of plates which are slop placed to geometrical axis: At the upper part of the presizing equipment there is a foam overflow apparatus. The bottom of each presizing equipment is connected with a common cone-frustum type deflector casing. The casing is concentric with the container.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating particulate solid from a solid mixture based on the size of the particles which includes feeding a slurry of the particulate solid mixture into an upper vessel portion adapted to be filled with liquid such as the slurried particulate. The apparatus also includes a lower vessel portion having a cross-sectional area which is less than the cross-sectional area of the upper vessel portion and is sealingly connected for fluid communication with the upper vessel portion by an outwardly diverging wall located at the top of the lower vessel portion. The upper vessel portion has a free-settling region for separating particulate solids. The particulate containing slurry is met with an upwardly directed stream of fluidization fluid, e.g., water, in the lower vessel portion wherein a first fraction-containing solid particulate which has descended through the fluidization stream is directed from the apparatus by a means therefor.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for the beneficiation, or for the continuous hydraulic elutriation of particulate solids. The apparatus is characterized generally as an elongate vessel, with a width of V-shaped cross-section. The upper side of the vessel is provided with launders, or overflow weirs, suitably arranged in series along the two side walls of the vessel. An elongate upwardly faced compartment is provided at the bottom of the vessel by the converging side walls, and preferably it is compartmented. The vessel is provided at one end with a particulate solids inlet, and the opposite end with a particulate solids outlet; and means are provided at the bottom of the vessel for the introduction of liquid. Pumps are employed to withdraw overflow liquid from the launders, and inject same into the vessel bottom compartment, or compartments.

Abstract: A high degree of water purity is obtained from a mixed-bed deionization process by minimization of cross-contamination of the cation and anion materials. After service, the materials are classified into superimposed uppermost, intermediate and lowermost layers above a perforate barrier in a separator vessel. The vessel has an elongate conduit having an inlet adjacent the barrier and an outlet outside the vessel. At least a major proportion of the material of the lowermost layer is passed through the outlet of the conduit and an interface between materials is detected. Thereupon, the conduit outlet is isolated from the conduit inlet so as to segregate in the conduit material from the intermediate layer. The ion exchange materials are then regenerated and re-mixed. The segregated material is independently removed from the conduit before the next regeneration cycle starts.

Abstract: A separator for separating higher density metal values such as particles of gold from a mixture of gold particles and earthen material. The separator includes an upwardly divergent hollow cone and a hollow, transparent column, the transparent column being attached in fluid communication to the apex of the cone. A controllable water supply is connected to diffuser means in the apparatus to diffuse water upwardly through the column and the cone to carry away lighter earthen material in the cone. The water flow rate is adjusted so that the heavier gold particles settle downwardly into the transparent column. The transparent column permits the operator to observe the process and selectively adjust the water flow rate. A screen device may be included for controlling the particle size of material introduced into the separator cone. The separator cone and supporting apparatus therefor may be rendered readily man-portable by being incorporated into a backpack.

Abstract: A device for hydraulically classifying solid fragments includes two side-by-side liquid-holding compartments between which liquid is continuously circulated; the liquid flows through a flow tube connecting the lower region of the first compartment with the second compartment, then flows upwardly through a throat zone in the first compartment and then over a weir back to the second compartment. The flow tube has a convergent mouth in the second compartment and a divergent outlet in the first compartment. A pump is arranged to withdraw a fraction of the circulating liquid from the second compartment and to inject that liquid into an eductor arranged at the mouth of the flow tube in the second compartment. Solids classification is accomplished at the throat zone: heavier solids sink through the throat zone, and lighter solids are carried upward in the rising current over the weir and onto a drainage screen.