Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating liquid carrying suspended solids comprising the following steps: (i) introducing the liquid into a primary treatment vessel (1) and causing agglomeration of solids suspended in the liquid to form flocs which are not settleable to any substantial degree within the time the said liquid is permitted to remain in the primary vessel; (ii) transferring an aqueous component comprising the flocs from the primary treatment vessel (1) to a secondary treatment vessel (5) where a floc of a settleable nature is caused to form; and (iii) permitting said floc to settle under gravity in the secondary vessel (5) and recovering an aqueous component having a substantially reduced concentration of suspended solids relative to the original liquid; wherein the liquid is subjected in the primary vessel to flow patterns, including a low energy circulating flow about a vertical axis of the primary vessel, which provide conditions for the formation of the substantially non-settleable flocs conta

Abstract: There is disclosed a separation vessel which is defined by a cylindrical wall (2) and a base (38), there being a solids collection region (12) centrally disposed of the base (38), an outlet (8) disposed in an upper region of the vessel, and a flow modifying member (14) positioned adjacent the base (38), the arrangement of the vessel being such that liquid carrying particulate material may flow upwardly to the top of the vessel toward the outlet (8) in a substantially axial direction. Also disclosed is a method of separating components of a liquid mixture from each other and a method of classifying a particulate material.

Abstract: There is described a low energy separator for separating solid components out of a liquid mixture, comprising (a) a vessel having a cylindrical outer wall and a base at one end, (b) a body which is provided within the vessel and which defines with the base an annular opening spaced from the outer wall, (c) an inlet for introducing the liquid mixture into the vessel said inlet opening directly into the vessel, (d) an outlet in the upper region of the vessel for removing from the vessel liquid from which solid components have been separated, (e) a primary annular dip plate extending downwardly toward the base from an upper region of the vessel and spaced from the outer wall of the vessel, and (f) means for promoting a rotational movement of liquid and suspended solids within the vessel, said rotational movement being sufficient to cause or enhance an inward sweeping effect towards the annular opening on solids accumulated at the base of the vessel, while being of sufficiently low energy that separation of the s

Abstract: There is disclosed a separator of the low energy type comprising a cylindrical vessel (1) in which rotational movement of liquid and suspended solids within the vessel (1) is sufficient to cause and enhance an inward sweeping effect towards an annular opening in the base (3) on solids accumulated at the base (3) of the vessel (1), while being of sufficiently low energy that separation of the solid components of the liquid in the vessel (1) is brought about primarily by gravity. In order to trap floatables material, a floatables trap (19) is provided inward of an annular dip plate (9) in the vessel (1).