Abstract: Apparatus and method for separating fly ash into its major constituents; namely, metal, carbon black, cenospheres and dust. The metal is separated by passing the fly ash through a magnetic field at least a part of which has an alternating polarity. The non-magnetic constituent is separated into conductive and dielectric constituents with a high tension separator and the conductive constituent, chiefly cenospheres, is then graded by size. The grading is effected by passing the non-magnetic, conductive fly ash constituent through a cross-flow of ionized air which suspends the cenospheres at different levels according to their weight and size. The apparatus and method has general utility, with obvious modifications, to the grading of particles other than cenospheres.

Abstract: An air classifier for separating a heterogeneous mixture of particles into heavier and lighter fractions includes an air passageway through which a horizontal primary air stream is flowing, a pair of air deck sections extending along the bottom of the passageway through which deck air is flowing upwardly within and downstream of the passageway, air nozzles located between the air deck sections through which a primary vertical air stream is flowing, the latter also preferably flowing with a horizontal component moving downstream of the passageway, a heavy particle deflector and remover downstream of the second air deck section, and a light particle trapping and removal arrangement downstream of the heavy particle deflector.

Abstract: A source of fluid and entrained particles including fines is connected to the entrance of a cyclone particle separator lying above a particle storage vessel that has an outlet near its bottom. The particle separator has a particle exit connected to the storage vessel and a fluid exit. The separator imparts angular motion to the fluid received at its entrance such that the fluid with a first percentage of the fines entrained therein flows out the fluid exit, and the particles minus such first percentage passes through the particle exit to the storage vessel. The particles in the storage vessel are fluidized to a particular level above the outlet. Fluidized particles with a second percentage of the fines entrained therein are removed from the process by withdrawal from the storage vessel at a point between the particular level and the outlet. Fluidized particles minus the first and second percentages of the fines flow from the outlet of the storage vessel to a receiver for processing.

Abstract: A waste disposal system for radioactively contaminated salt solutions that includes a reaction chamber for interacting the contaminated salt solutions with a fluidized particulate bed to agglomerate salt molecules into bed-sized particles is illustrated herein. Excess bed material is removed during operation by an air flow pipeline system that includes two intersecting pipeline branches. One branch defines a gravity flow exit pathway for particulate bed material reaching a preselected level in the chamber, and the other provides an exit pathway for air and fine particles near the top of the chamber. Air flow through the exit pipeline branches causes fluidic mixing of fine particles with the larger bed-sized particles at the intersection of the two branches. The mixed particles are agglomerated by a centrifugal separator that also removes the particles from the air flow and deposits them into a storage container.

Abstract: Granular materials are separated on a dry pinched sluice separator having at its discharge end a conical concave surface. The material to be separated is allowed to flow downwardly over the separator chute under gravity and fluidization and the so separated materials traverse the concave surface.