Abstract: An apparatus for recovering a desired fraction of a raw material bearing the desired fraction has a vessel or cell defining a treatment chamber therein, with an inlet into the chamber for introducing a slurry of raw material to be treated into the chamber. An attrition zone is defined in a portion of the chamber proximate the inlet in the flow path of material introduced into the chamber, the particles being caused to impact against each other in the attrition zone to cause attritioning thereof. A floatation zone is defined in a distal portion of the chamber, in flow communication with the attrition zone, in which attritioned particles from the attrition zone can be contacted with gas bubbles to form a froth phase separated from the slurry by a slurry-froth interface such that the desired fraction is either selectively taken up into the froth phase by the gas bubbles or selectively left behind in the slurry. An outlet from the chamber for the froth phase is present.

Abstract: An apparatus for recovering a desired fraction of a raw material bearing the desired fraction has a vessel or cell defining a treatment chamber therein, with an inlet into the chamber for introducing a slurry of raw material to be treated into the chamber. An attrition zone is defined in a portion of the chamber proximate the inlet in the flow path of material introduced into the chamber, the particles being caused to impact against each other in the attrition zone to cause attritioning thereof. A floatation zone is defined in a distal portion of the chamber, in flow communication with the attrition zone, in which attritioned particles from the attrition zone can be contacted with gas bubbles to form a froth phase separated from the slurry by a slurry-froth interface such that the desired fraction is either selectively taken up into the froth phase by the gas bubbles or selectively left behind in the slurry. An outlet from the chamber for the froth phase is present.