Abstract: A substrate for use in an aqueous slurry has a polymeric coating to provide a compliant and sticky surface. The polymer coating has a chemical to render the surface hydrophobic so as to attract hydrophobic or hydrophobized mineral particles in the slurry. The substrate can take the form of a conveyor belt, a bead, a mesh, an impeller, a filter or a flat surface. The substrate can also be an open-cell foam. The polymeric coating can be modified with tackifiers; plasticizers; crosslinking agents; chain transfer agents; chain extenders; adhesion promoters; aryl or alky copolymers; fluorinated copolymers and/or additives; hydrophobicizing agents such as hexamethyldisilazane; inorganic particles such as silica, hydrophobic silica, and/or fumed hydrophobic silica; MQ resin; and/or other additives to control and modify the properties of the polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a proppant or proppant mixture having insert materials configured for providing a mechanical or physical function in a well to hold open fissures or pathways created in formations caused by well fracking to allow a release of a hydrocarbon from the well, the insert materials being configured at least partly with beads having a functionalized polymer so as to form functionalized polymer proppants that are configured to respond to the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well, including water, and provide at least one chemical taggant containing an indication about the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well. The functionalized polymer may include a dual-monomer structure.

Abstract: A copper/molybdenum separation processor is provide featuring a slurry/media mixture stage configured to receive a conditioned pulp containing hydrophobic molybdenite and hydrophilic copper, iron and other minerals that is conditioned with sodium hydrosulfide together with an engineered polymeric hydrophobic media, and provide a slurry/media mixture; and a slurry/media separation stage configured to receive the slurry/media mixture, and provide a slurry product having a copper concentrate and a polymerized hydrophobic media product having a molybdenum concentrate that are separately directed for further processing. The slurry/media mixture stage include a molybdenum loading stage configured to contact the conditioned pulp with the engineered polymeric hydrophobic media in an agitated reaction chamber, and load the hydrophobic molybdenite on the engineered polymeric hydrophobic media.

Abstract: The present invention provides a proppant or proppant mixture having insert materials configured for providing a mechanical or physical function in a well to hold open fissures or pathways created in formations caused by well fracking to allow a release of a hydrocarbon from the well, the insert materials being configured at least partly with beads having a functionalized polymer so as to form functionalized polymer proppants that are configured to respond to the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well, including water, and provide at least one chemical taggant containing an indication about the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well. The functionalized polymer may include a dual-monomer structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a proppant or proppant mixture having insert materials configured for providing a mechanical or physical function in a well to hold open fissures or pathways created in formations caused by well fracking to allow a release of a hydrocarbon from the well, the insert materials being configured at least partly with beads having a functionalized polymer so as to form functionalized polymer proppants that are configured to respond to the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well, including water, and provide at least one chemical taggant containing an indication about the hydrocarbon or other composition of matter released from the well. The functionalized polymer may include a dual-monomer structure.

Abstract: A reactor system has a number of stations arranged to recover mineral particles in a slurry. The system includes a hopper to receive the slurry and barren media having hydrophobic coating to attract the mineral particles. The hopper provides a mixture of barren media and slurry to a tumbler arranged to stir the mixture in order to increase the contact between the slurry and the barren media so as to allow the mineral particles to attach to the barren media to form mineral laden media. The mineral laden media are conveyed to a rinsing station where water jets are used to wash the gangue materials off the mineral laden media. The rinsed mineral laden media are mixed with a surfactant so that the mineral particles are released from the mineral laden media. High-pressure water and air jets are then used to remove remaining surfactant from the released media.

Abstract: A machine or apparatus featuring a first processor and a second processor. The first processor is configured to receive a mixture of fluid, valuable material and unwanted material and a functionalized polymer coated member configured to attach to the valuable material in an attachment rich environment, and provide an enriched functionalized polymer coated member having the valuable material attached thereto. The second processor is configured to receive a fluid and the enriched functionalized polymer coated member in a release rich environment to release the valuable material, and provide the valuable material released from the enriched functionalized polymer coated member.

Abstract: A particle size tracking system for providing predictive maintenance and battery tuning of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration, featuring a control having a signal processor configured to: receive signaling containing information about particle sizes of material flowing in pipes of hydrocyclones arranged in a battery configuration; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration, based upon the signaling received. The signal processor may be configured to provide the corresponding signal as control signaling to control the operation of each hydrocyclone arranged in the battery configuration.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete.

Abstract: The present invention provides techniques for recovering hydrocarbon fluids in a process flow, including recovering bitumen from a coarse tailings line. The apparatus includes a signal processor that responds to signaling containing information about the presence of a hydrocarbon fluid in a process flow; and determines corresponding signaling to control the diversion of the hydrocarbon fluid from the process flow remaining based on the signaling received. The hydrocarbon fluid may be bitumen, including bitumen flowing in a course tailings line. The signal processor receives the signaling from a velocity profile meter having sensors arranged around a circumference of a process pipe containing information about a fluid flow velocity at various levels or heights within the process pipe, including a wrap-around velocity profile meter having multiple sensing arrays located radially at a top position of 0°, a bottom position of 180°, and intermediate positions 45°, 90° and 135°.

Abstract: A reactor system has a number of stations arranged to recover mineral particles in a slurry. The system includes a hopper to receive the slurry and barren media having hydrophobic coating to attract the mineral particles. The hopper provides a mixture of barren media and slurry to a tumbler arranged to stir the mixture in order to increase the contact between the slurry and the barren media so as to allow the mineral particles to attach to the barren media to form mineral laden media. The mineral laden media are conveyed to a rinsing station where water jets are used to wash the gangue materials off the mineral laden media. The rinsed mineral laden media are mixed with a surfactant so that the mineral particles are released from the mineral laden media. High-pressure water and air jets are then used to remove remaining surfactant from the released media.

Abstract: Apparatus uses hydrophobic synthetic beads to recover mineral particles in a slurry. The synthetic beads and the slurry are mixed into a mixture for processing. The apparatus has an interaction vessel installed in a section of pipeline. The interaction vessel is made from a pipeline folded or coiled into a compact struction having a continuous flow path. The interaction vessel has an input to receive the mixture of slurry and synthetic beads. The folded or coiled structure is used to increase the residence time of the mixture in the flow path, allowing more time for the mineral particles in the slurry to attach to the surface of the synthetic bead, while maintaining a small footprint. The interaction vessel may be formed from a number of loops of pipe section. The interaction vessel may be formed from one or more folded structures.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in, or forming part of, a separation process to be implemented in separation processor technology, the apparatus comprising synthetic bubbles or beads configured with a polymer or polymer-based material functionalized to attach to a valuable material in a mixture so as to form an enriched synthetic bubbles or beads having the valuable material attached thereto, and also configured to be separated from the mixture based at least partly on a difference in a physical property between the enriched synthetic bubbles or beads having the valuable material attached thereto and the mixture.

Abstract: A copper/molybdenum separation system uses sea water in the roughing circuit and desalinated water in cleaning circuit. In both roughing circuit and cleaning circuit, hydrophobic engineered media are used to recover the mineral particles of interest. The cleaning circuit includes a molybdenum loading stage configured to contact the conditioned pulp with the engineered media in an agitated reaction chamber, and load the hydrophobic molybdenite on the engineered media.

Abstract: The invention provides a signal processor that receives a signal containing information about an acoustic signal that is generated by at least one acoustic transmitter, that travels through an aerated fluid in a container, and that is received by at least one acoustic receiver arranged in relation to the container, including inside the container; and determines the gas volume fraction of the aerated fluid based at least partly on the speed of sound measurement of the acoustic signal that travels through the aerated fluid in the container. The signal processor also sends an output signal containing information about the gas volume fraction of the aerated fluid. The signal processor may be configured together with at least one acoustic transmitter, the at least one acoustic receiver, or both.

Abstract: Apparatus features an acoustic comb filter module configured to receive signaling containing information about different frequencies F1 and F2 to create a selected comb spacing D to capture certain particles having a selected size X in a flow stream in a flow pipe, and to provide an acoustic standing wave via ultrasonic excitation based at least partly on the two different frequencies F1 and F2 to create the selected comb spacing D to capture the certain particles having the selected size X in the flow stream in the flow pipe. The apparatus may also include a particle size or distribution determination module configured to receive the certain particles for off-stream analysis via a detection port that forms part of the flow pipe and determine the particle size or distribution of the certain particles in the flow stream in the flow pipe.

Abstract: A selective recirculation circuit has a loading stage, a stripping stage and a filtering stage for use in processing a feed stream or slurry containing mineral particles. The stripping stage forms a first loop with the loading stage, and a second loop with the filtering stage. The loading stage has a loading mixer and a loading washing screen. The stripping stage has a stripping mixer and a stripping washing screen. The loading mixer receives the slurry and causes barren media in the circuit to contact with the slurry so that the mineral particles in the slurry are loaded onto the barren media. The media is directed to the stripping stage where the mineral particles are removed from the media. The barren media is recycled to the loading stage. The stripping solution recovered from the filtering stage is returned to the stripping stage and the mineral particles are discharged as concentrate.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided featuring a signal processor or processing module configured at least to: receive signaling containing information about coded and multiplexed voltages measured across pairs of electrodes in an array of electrodes configured in relation to a fluid processing structure, including a pipe, tank, vessel, vat or container, having a process fluid therein; and determine using a tomographic signal processing algorithm a tomographic indication of the process fluid, based at least partly on the signaling received. The signal processor module may be configured to provide corresponding signaling containing information about the tomographic indication of the process fluid. The tomographic indication includes a 2D or 3D image or visualization of the process fluid, including an analysis of mixing in multiphase flows, liquid interfaces or liquid-froth layers detected in the process fluid.

Abstract: An engineered collection medium for use in mineral separation is described. The engineered collection medium has a solid phase body configured with a three-dimensional open-cell structure like foam or sponge to provide collection surfaces. The surfaces are functionalized with a hydrophobic chemical having molecules with a functional group for attaching mineral particles to the collection surfaces. The engineered collection medium can be a foam block, a filter or conveyor belt to be placed in a slurry to collect mineral particles in the slurry. The engineered collection medium carrying the mineral particles is provided to a release apparatus where the mineral particles can be released by using mechanical agitation, sonic agitation and so forth.

Abstract: Apparatus features a signal processor or signal processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a central air-core of an overflow pipe of a hydrocyclone where fluid flow is concentrated in an outer annular region of the overflow pipe that is against an inner wall of the overflow pipe during a normal operation of the hydrocyclone; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a collapse of the central air-core of the overflow pipe of the hydrocyclone during an abnormal operation of the hydrocyclone, based upon the signaling received. The signaling contains information about a fluid flow rate of the fluid flow by detecting a change in the magnitude of a force and/or a moment on the probe.