Abstract: A process for separating ore particles from gangue particles comprises the steps of (1) conditioning the particles with an agent comprising a compound having both a surface-selective functional group and a detectable moiety, to selectively coat either the ore particles or the gangue particles, to the substantial exclusion of the other; (2) detecting the coated particles; and (3) separating the detected, coated particles from the substantially uncoated particles. In one embodiment, the detectable moiety is fluorescent and detecting is performed under ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the separation of oil shale from run of mine (ROM) oil shale containing particles of oil shale and refuse, which comprises conditioning the ROM oil shale with a coupling agent capable of selectively coating the kerogen hydrocarbons in the particulate oil shale to the substantial exclusion of coating the non-hydrocarbonaceous refuse, which coupling agent is one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, at least one carboxylic acid, preferably containing from about 5 to about 28 carbon atoms and a ketone. Combined with said coupling agent is a fluorescent dye in a quantity to make the coated particles of oil shale fluoresce upon excitation to a degree sufficient to distinguish the coated oil shale particles from the substantially non-coated refuse. Exciting (e.g.

Abstract: A machine for refunding the deposit on empty containers such as bottles or cans for encouraging their return is disclosed. The machine includes an access door through which an empty container is introduced to an inspection station whereupon an inspection device determines if the empty container is marked with a proper identifying mark unique to that brand of container. The inspection device includes an ultraviolet light source which directs ultraviolet radiation onto an identifying mark on the container and causes fluorescent emmission of a narrow band of light. The radiation detection scheme of the present invention employs at least a pair of photodetectors, one which detects the very narrow band of radiation emitted from the fluorescent identifying mark, and the other which monitors whether or not any adjacent light bands are emitted from the object to a significant degree.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the separation of shale from run of mine (ROM) shale containing particles of shale and refuse, which comprises conditioning the ROM shale with a coupling agent capable of selectively coating the kerogen hydrocarbons in the particulate shale to the substantial exclusion of coating the non-hydrocarbonaceous refuse, which coupling agent is at least one carboxylic acid, preferably containing from about 5 to about 28 carbon atoms and a ketone. Combined with said coupling agent is a fluorescent dye in a quantity to make the coated particles of shale fluoresce upon excitation to a degree sufficient to distinguish the coated shale particles from the substantially non-coated refuse. Exciting (e.g. as with ultraviolet light) the fluorescent dye coupled to the shale particles induces fluorescence and enables separating the fluorescing, coated shale particles from substantially non-fluorescing, non-coated refuse particles.

Abstract: A system for sorting mailing pieces is described in which pre-addressed labels are applied to mailing pieces and in which selected labels bearing indicia representative of a zip code group are selectively coated to identify them from labels not bearing such indicia. To distinguish coated labels from non-coated labels, each label is considered as having two or more portions, including a first coatable portion and a second reference portion. Only labels bearing zip code group indicia receive a coating on their coatable portions. Thereafter, each label is examined to detect the level of radiation, if any, emitted from its coatable and reference portions. If the level of radiation emitted from a coatable portion of a label exceeds the level of radiation emitted from its reference portion by at least a predetermined difference, such a label is identified as bearing indicia representative of a zip code group.