Abstract: The present invention provides a method of separating nickel bearing sulphides from mined ores or concentrates of mined ores that contain talc particles is disclosed. The method comprises adjusting the Eh of a slurry of mined ores or concentrates of mined ores and making particles of nickel bearing sulphides less hydrophobic than talc particles and floating the nickel bearing sulphide particles from the slurry.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of an efficient and robust catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of paraffins to olefins, preferably lower C2-4 paraffins. The present invention provides a process for the preparation of an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst of C2-4 paraffins to olefins comprising comminuting: from 10 to 99 weight % of a mixed oxide catalyst of the formula VxMoyNbzTemMenOp, wherein Me is a metal selected from the group consisting of Ta, Ti, W, Hf, Zr, Sb and mixtures thereof; with from 90 to 1 weight % of an inert matrix selected from oxides of titanium, zirconia, aluminum, magnesium, yttria, lantana, silica and their mixed compositions or a carbon matrix to produce particles having a size from 1 to 100 microns and forming the resulting particles into pellets having a size from 0.1 to 2 mm.

Abstract: A system for processing ores is provided. The system includes a bubble collapse mill and a control system that interacts with an external system to evaluate and manipulate the processing of an ore.

Abstract: A machine is employed for recovering heavy metals and precious or semi precious minerals, such as gold, copper, lead, diamonds, and garnets from placer, or hard rock ore. The machine employs a cylindrical, annular outer drum mounted for rotation at an inclination to the horizontal and including at least one spiral vane extending the length of its inner surface. A cylindrical, annular inner barrel is mounted within the drum and has an upper fragmentation section, an intermediate screened section, and a lower discharge section. A spray of water is directed into the inner barrel and a water spray bar is located in the annulus between the inner barrel and the outer drum. A fine sluice box is located to receive under one-quarter material input from a side trommel and a coarse sluice box located to receive discharge from the side trommel and discharge from the fine sluice box. The sluice box includes a plurality of landings, matting and screens upon which heavy materials, such as gold or precious stones, collect.

Abstract: A pulper with a shaft on which a spiral is arranged has been improved to such an extent that it comprises a shaft with a counter-rotating spiral. Preferably both spirals are arranged on the same shaft. This results in extreme friction in the centre of the reaction space of the pulper and thus in an increase in the capacity of the pulper and in an improvement to achieve highly efficient suspension.

Abstract: A method for extracting copper, including: 1) inputting a copper cinder into a ball grinder to grind, screening, transferring resulting coarse grains to a first magnetic separator to yield a copper concentrate I and magnetic minerals, and returning the magnetic minerals to the ball grinder; 2) transferring resulting fine grains from the screening to a classifier to yield a deposited sand and an overflowing slurry, returning the deposited sand to the ball grinder, transferring the overflowing slurry to a flotation unit to yield a copper concentrate II and a gangue; 3) transferring the gangue to a second magnetic separator to separate a non-magnetic mineral from a magnetic mineral, transferring the non-magnetic mineral to a gravity concentrator to get a semi-qualified product, and transferring the semi-qualified product to a table concentrator to yield a copper concentration III; 4) discharging the gangue and the magnetic mineral.

Abstract: Materials in battery and electrochemical cells are separated in a form suitable for recycling by employing froth flotation techniques. Bulk materials, such as casings, are removed from converted battery scrap and the resultant pulp is subjected to froth flotation. Froth flotation agents, including frothers, collectors and/or depressants, are used to manipulate the hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the materials in the scrap. Hydrophobic materials are entrained in the air bubbles of the froth and float out of the froth flotation vessel while those that are hydrophilic remain in the vessel, thereby separating battery grid materials without resort to pyrometallurgical, energy intensive or other environmentally undesirable processes.

Abstract: The method and systems efficiently extract recyclable materials from a mixed solid waste stream. The methods and systems use sizing, density and dimensional separation to produce intermediate waste streams that are enriched in particular recyclable materials. The recyclable materials can then be efficiently sorted from the individual intermediate streams using mechanized sorting equipment.

Abstract: In a method and equipment for conditioning low-metal scrap high in plastics, which contains at least partially scrap high in plastics from shredder processes, especially of scrap vehicles, the method includes: splitting up ferromagnetic components from the scrap that is high in plastics; separating a first raw sand fraction from the scrap high in plastics that has been reduced in metals; reducing in size the fraction high in plastics that remains after the isolation of the first raw sand fraction; separating a second raw sand fraction after reducing in size the remaining fraction high in plastics; and splitting up the remaining fraction, that is high in plastics, into a light fraction and a heavy fraction. The equipment has the appropriate device for carrying out the individual method steps.

Abstract: A method for recycling discarded batteries by chopping or crushing to recover reusable materials, the method comprising the steps, sorting a plurality of batteries into groups by battery technology; removing button-cell batteries from said groups; chopping said groups of batteries into pieces approximately one quarter inch or less, to produce final particule matter; removing ferro-magnetic material form said final particulate matter; transferring said final particulate matter to refining or smelting process to recover to recover reusable materials.

Abstract: In a method and equipment for conditioning a heavy fraction high in plastics, which is obtained by conditioning low-metal scrap high in plastics, which originate at least in part from shredder processes of scrap vehicles, the method includes: isolating metal parts from the heavy fraction high in plastics; reducing the size of the metal-reduced heavy fraction high in plastics that remains after the isolation of the metal parts; splitting up of the metal-reduced heavy fraction high in plastics, that remains after the isolation of the metal parts, into fractions high in plastics having different grain sizes; conditioning the separated fractions high in plastics at least partially in separate processes. The equipment includes appropriate devices for carrying out the foregoing processes. A highly pure granulate fraction may be obtained, which may be fed to material utilization.

Abstract: The method and systems efficiently extract recyclable materials from a mixed solid waste stream. The methods and systems use sizing, density and dimensional separation to produce intermediate waste streams that are enriched in particular recyclable materials. The recyclable materials can then be efficiently sorted from the individual intermediate streams using mechanized sorting equipment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a quantity of cullet having at least two colors of glass from an input stream of recyclable material and non-recyclable material. In an embodiment, the system includes a sortation station, a screening apparatus, an air classifier, and a crushing apparatus to provide as output substantially pure cullet having at least two colors.

Abstract: The method and systems efficiently extract recyclable materials from a mixed solid waste stream. The methods and systems use sizing, density and dimensional separation to produce intermediate waste streams that are enriched in particular recyclable materials. The recyclable materials can then be efficiently sorted from the individual intermediate streams using mechanized sorting equipment.

Abstract: The method and systems efficiently extract recyclable materials from a mixed solid waste stream. The methods and systems use sizing, density and dimensional separation to produce intermediate waste streams that are enriched in particular recyclable materials. The recyclable materials can then be efficiently sorted from the individual intermediate streams using mechanized sorting equipment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing recyclable material recovery from automobile shredder residue. Embodiments include substantially isotropic quantization separation of automobile shredder residue such as a wind tunnel system and even substantially horizontal laminar air flow and can be used with or without out other traditional automobile shredder residue sorting systems perhaps creating additional recyclable quantities and even better separated results such as with zorba and zurik and the like.

Abstract: A method separates a rubber material and a steel chord material in tires, tire blanks and carcasses from one another in a simple manner. In the method, rubberized steel chord is fed to a separating device. Then a powdered separating material is fed to the separating device. The steel chord and the rubber are separated by way of interactions between rotating tools and the separating material in the separating device. The separated rubber particles are encapsulated by the separating material. The rubber particles are discharged from an opening in the separating device.

Abstract: A stream of shredded scrap metal is divided into increments. A bulk material analyzer is employed to determine the bulk chemical composition of each increment. The increments are then sorted on the basis of the bulk chemical composition of each increment.

Abstract: The invention provides for methods, systems, and devices for processing rubber materials including rubber from tires, tubes, shoe soles, or any other rubber containing product. Characteristics of the rubber materials, such as chemical composition and/or product manufacturer, model, and manufacture date, can be identified. Identification can be performed by personnel, can be automated, or can be a combination thereof. The characteristics of the rubber material can be used to sort the rubber product. Rubber materials suitable for a particular end product can be selected for further processing, which can include size reduction, material separation, chemical and physical processes, devulcanization, or a combination thereof. Processed rubber materials can be stored or delivered to a user or manufacturing site with product specifications.

Abstract: A method of separating at least one cluster of a plurality of clustered particles of a specified material. The method includes: initiating the wetting of at least a portion of the plurality of cluster particles; disaggregating at least a portion of the wetted plurality of cluster particles into a disaggregated material including a plurality of smaller clusters, discrete particles or any combination thereof; and stabilizing at least a portion of the disaggregated material by reducing, eliminating or replacing specified controlling attractive forces. A system and apparatus for separating at least one cluster of a plurality of clustered particles of a specified material are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided is a coating liquid for forming an undercoat layer of an electrophotographic photoreceptor exhibiting high stability. In the coating liquid for forming an undercoat layer of an electrophotographic photoreceptor containing metal oxide particles and a binder resin, the metal oxide particles have a cumulative volume average diameter D50 of 0.1 ?m or less and a volume particle size distribution width index SD satisfying the following Expression (1) which are measured by a dynamic light-scattering method in the coating liquid for forming an undercoat layer, 0.010?SD?0.040??(1) where SD=(D84?D16)/2, where D84 represents the particle diameter (?m) at a point of 84% in the cumulative volume particle size distribution curve, and D16 represents the particle diameter (?m) at a point of 16% in the cumulative volume particle size distribution curve.

Abstract: A process to transform solid waste into fuel by adding water and heat to provide no more than 350 BTUs/lb of the weight of the solid waste for no more than 85 minutes. Such a process transforms the solid waste into fuel in a process time of not greater than 85 minutes. The system uses a pressure vessel; a condenser tank to permit selective addition of water to and evacuation of steam from the vessel; a heater to increase the temperature of the vessel; a vacuum pump to selectively reduce pressure within the vessel and to help evacuate steam from the vessel to the condenser tank; and a water pump to selectively add water from the condenser tank to the interior volume of the vessel. A method for converting solid waste into fuel includes loading the solid waste into a rotating pressure vessel and transforming the solid waste into fuel by adding water; reducing pressure; adding heat; and then evacuating steam. The contents are evacuated from the pressure vessel. At least some of the contents are fuel.

Abstract: Mobile metal scrap recovery apparatuses and methods of operating them to remove scrap metal from scrap metal-contaminated soil are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a mobile metal scrap recovery apparatus comprises first and second wheeled components, each of which is road transportable. The first wheeled component comprises a unit for screening the metal scrap-contaminated soil into at least a coarser fraction and a finer fraction. The second wheeled component comprises a magnet separator, an eddy current separator, and a manual picking station. Methods for conducting the business of scrap metal recovery are also disclosed. Such business methods involve the use of a mobile metal scrap recovery apparatus to remove scrap metal from scrap metal-contaminated soil.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gravity/flotation circuit where a mineral stream, such as a flotation rougher or cleaner concentrate, undergoes a two stage size separation wherein: i) the screen of the first stage provides a coarse stream of particles greater than 110 microns and a fines stream of particles less than 110 microns; and ii) the fines stream of less than 110 microns is subjected to the second stage separation whereupon a cyclone provides an ultrafine/slimes stream of p80 less than about 25 microns and a middlings stream of p80 greater than around 25 microns. The middlings stream is subjected to flotation to recover nickel sulphide which is sent to final concentrate, and reject or depress magnesia which undergoes gravity separation to concentrate the MgO. It has been discovered that a large proportion of the MgO minerals in the concentrate are contained in the 30 to 100 micron size fraction and that they are well liberated making physical separation possible.

Abstract: A method or processing composite waste including combustibles and incombustibles has a press process for pressing the composite waste, a dry distillation process for performing dry distillation on the pressed composite waste, a shredding process for shredding the composite waste that has been pressed and has undergone dry distillation and a separating process for separating the shredded composite waste into combustible carbide and incombustibles.

Abstract: A new reagent for the application in the preparation of mineral raw materials, mainly sulphide and oxyde mono- and polymetallic ores of non-ferrous metals, which are used as a corrosion inhibitor of the equipment and grinding bodies and as a selective collector of the wanted metal, is described. The new reagent is a composition of water, mercaptobenzothiazole salts and its derivatives in the quantity of 0–50%, by weight, sodium metasilicates in the quantity of 0.1–10%, by weight, amines in the quantity of 1–5%, by weight, and dithiophosphates in the quantity of 0.5–20%, by weight. Also, it discloses the methods for the application of that new reagent for the preparations of the copper, zinc and lead concentrates from the sulphide and oxyde ores, for the purpose of further metallurgic processing. In those methods the new reagent is added fully, or in part, in the phase of wet grinding, and in part, as needed, in the flotation phase, in the quantity of 20–300 g of the reagent per ton of ore.

Abstract: The recycling of metal materials is performed by efficiently recovering the metal materials from component materials of a process cartridge. To achieve this object, there is provided a method of recycling a process cartridge containing a toner, wherein in a crushing process of a process cartridge containing a recovered toner, a container shape of the process cartridge is subjected to disassembly treatment to an extent of main component parts, the toner is recovered by suction in a step of disassembly treatment, metal materials, such as ferrous materials and aluminum materials, in component materials of the process cartridge are subjected to separation treatment after the step of disassembly treatment, and each of the materials is subjected to melting treatment thereby to change the materials into forms capable of reuse as ferrous materials and aluminum materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus of recycling a printed circuit board for separating and retrieving a metallic material, which includes a printed metallic material, and an insulating material, both composing the printed circuit board. Both the metallic material and the insulating material, which are separated and retrieved, are possible for recycling. In the method for recycling the printed circuit board, hot filtration equipment 4a and resin-metal separation equipment 51 are used in hot filtration process P400. The waste printed circuit board 1 is heated and force-filtered so that only the insulating material 1a pass through the filter. Then, the insulating material 1a and the metallic material 1b are separated and retrieved. It is preferred that the insulating body base 23 of the printed circuit board 100 as the waste printed circuit board is made of thermoplastic resin or a mixture of thermoplastic resin and inorganic loading material.

Abstract: The present invention springs from the discovery that mild acids could be utilized to shear undesired metals away from desired precious metals that have been plated onto circuit board runners or contacts. This shearing action occurs at a high rate when metal scrap segments are immersed in mild acid and excited by application of an electromagnetic field at specific frequencies and power levels. These frequencies and power levels are based on the end metal desired and the metals contained in the scrap and the acid utilized. When mild acid saturated with copper sulfate and loaded with scrap metals is subjected to an electromagnetic field at the appropriate frequency and power levels copper and nickel molecules are sheared rapidly and absorbed into solution, leaving only the desired metal, such as gold, in a 99.5% pure flake which can be skimmed off the surface of the solution or filtered from the solution.

Abstract: A refrigerant gas is collected and a compressor is removed from a discarded refrigerator, a heat-insulating housing including a heat insulator is cut/processed and separated into a plurality of pieces, and the pieces are compressed/processed by compression rollers opposing each other so as to collect a gas contained in the heat insulator. In accordance with this method, substantially no gas contained in the heat insulator is diffused at the time of cutting the heat-insulating housing, and the gas can be collected at a high concentration because it is collected by being allowed to leak out at the time of compressing. Furthermore, by using the compression rollers, closed-cells in the heat insulator can be crushed easily, thereby collecting the gas completely and reliably. Thus, it is possible to collect a foaming gas contained in the heat insulator efficiently and disassemble a refrigerator at low cost without increasing the size of-equipment and an installation space.

Abstract: In a method for sorting shredder residues of metal-containing wastes, e.g., vehicle bodies, the shredder residues are separated into a shredder light fraction and a non-ferromagnetic fraction (shredder heavy fraction). A system is arranged for sorting shredder residues of metal-containing wastes, e.g., vehicle bodies. At least parts of the primary material streams produced during the sorting of the shredder light fraction and the shredder heavy fraction in preliminary processes are fed to a common, main process for final processing, at least a ferromagnetic fraction, a fraction containing non-ferromagnetic metals, a granulate fraction, a fiber fraction, and a sand fraction being produced as end products.

Abstract: The present invention springs from the discovery that mild acids could be utilized to shear undesired metals away from desired precious metals that have been plated onto circuit board runners or contacts. This shearing action occurs at a high rate when metal scrap segments are immersed in mild acid and excited by application of an electromagnetic field at specific frequencies and power levels. These frequencies and power levels are based on the end metal desired and the metals contained in the scrap and the acid utilized. When mild acid saturated with copper sulfate and loaded with scrap metals is subjected to an electromagnetic field at the appropriate frequency and power levels copper and nickel molecules are sheared rapidly and absorbed into solution, leaving only the desired metal, such as gold, in a 99.5% pure flake which can be skimmed off the surface of the solution or filtered from the solution.

Abstract: A method for treating waste printed circuit boards, the method has the steps of: heating up for dry-distilling the waste printed circuit boards having copper foil retaining solder in at least a part of the surface, at a temperature of 250° C. or higher; pulverizing the dry-distilled material of the waste printed circuit boards obtained in the heating step; and separating the pulverized material of the waste printed circuit boards obtained in the pulverizing step, into board resin component and metal component.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and installation for processing heterogeneous value bearing material by pressure comminution. The material is compressed in a bed of particles, at low pressures and at low bulk material densities, and preferably no more than is necessary to liberate the desired values, thereby to minimise the formation of fines. The compressive bed pressure applied to the material does not exceed 300 MPa, and the process is preferably operated in an open circuit mode. Surprisingly, these measures lead to enhanced liberation of values compared with conventional comminution techniques.

Abstract: Process for production of three-dimensional objects by stereolithography in which a laser hardens particular areas of constantly succeeding layers of resin fluid. Prior to or during laser light action, the particles, which define physical or mechanical qualities of the object-to-be-produced, will be added into, and/or alternatively, will be produced within the resin fluid, leading to a resin-fluid-particle-mixture. The particles are integrated into the resin and/or compound with resin and/or other particles by means of laser light action or ultrasonic mixing.

Abstract: A process for treating a nitride-containing ceramic material which includes the following steps: (1) comminuting the material to produce a particulate ceramic material having a particle size distribution such that at least 40% by weight of the particles have an equivalent spherical diameter (esd) smaller than 2 &mgr;m; and (2) a ferrosilicon separation step comprising one or both of the following steps: a) subjecting the particulate ceramic material produced in step 1 to differential sedimentation in a liquid medium to produce substantial separation of a light fraction from a heavy fraction, ferrosilicon required to be separated being included in the heavy fraction and refined particulate ceramic material being included in the light fraction; b) subjecting a suspension of the particulate ceramic material to magnetic separation to produce substantial separation of magnetic particulate material from non-magnetic particulate material, refined particulate ceramic material being included in the non-magnetic ma

Abstract: A method for treating waste printed circuit boards, the method has the steps of: heating up for dry-distilling the waste printed circuit boards having copper foil retaining solder in at least a part of the surface, at a temperature of 250° C. or higher; pulverizing the dry-distilled material of the waste printed circuit boards obtained in the heating step; and separating the pulverized material of the waste printed circuit boards obtained in the pulverizing step, into board resin component and metal component.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for processing used vehicle tires that separates the steel metal from the rubber and other non-metallic materials for recycling. The tire is rotated at sufficient speed to force the materials outwardly by centrifugal force. Heated blades move centripetally to melt and cut through the non-metallic materials, dividing the tire into at least two arcs that are held together by the steel reinforcement that is not easily cut through. Electric heating apparatus heats the steel more than the rubber so that the forces binding the rubber are released, enabling the rubber and other non-metallic materials to be flung outwardly away from the steel. The steel is then collected separately. The differential heating apparatus may be inductive or resistive.

Abstract: A method for treating waste printed circuit boards, the method has the steps of:

Abstract: An apparatus separates a substantially metallic portion from a substantially non-metallic portion or constituent components of at least one electrical product, comprising a plurality of crushing machines, such as a first crushing machine and a second crushing machine and a separating machine. The first crushing machine crushes the at least one electrical product to create at least one crushed electrical product. The first crushing machine has a first screen affixed thereto to regulate a first flow of the at least one first crushed electrical product from the first crushing machine. The second crushing machine crushes the at least one first crushed electrical product to create at least one second crushed electrical product. The second crushing machine has a second screen affixed thereto to regulate a second flow of the at least one second crushed electrical product from the second crushing machine.

Abstract: There is provided a stock of paper nuggets for manufacturing composite building materials, wherein the stock of paper nuggets comprises a large portion of paper nuggets each having a thick mass, a twisted core and a tailed configuration. This stock of paper nuggets is advantageous for being composed of cohesive entities which can be manipulated on a construction site or sold to the public in bags, for use in backyard projects. The paper nuggets have good mold-filling and interlacing properties for manufacturing paper-based products having an homogenous structure and good mechanical properties. There are also provided a method and apparatus using one or more spherical rotors for penetrating a wet paper mulch, for pulling paper nuggets out of this wet paper mulch and for imparting in these paper nuggets their interlacing properties.

Abstract: Disclosed is the recycling of aluminum dross. Aluminum dross is crushed into particles which are size-classified on the basis of 1 mm. The aluminum dross particles equal to or smaller than 1 mm in size are leached with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to give a leachate which contains sodium aluminate as a result of the reaction the aluminum metal of the aluminum dross particles with sodium hydroxide. The aluminum dross particles greater than 1 mm in size are remelted to recover aluminum metal. In the leachate, a small quantity of aluminum hydroxide is seeded, followed by hydrolyzing the sodium aluminate to obtain aluminum hydroxide. Meanwhile, the leachate is filtered to obtain a residue. This residue is subjected to washing, drying and roasting. The mixing of the roasted residue with aggregate and alumina cement gives alumina castable refractories.

Abstract: A process is provided for recovering metal from metal-containing waste or dross. The process generally includes the steps of comminuting the dross, and then classifying the comminuted dross into a metal enriched large size fraction and salt enriched small size fraction. The process further involves the classification of the large size fraction into a metal-containing product stream and a recycle stream. According to the method, the portion characterized as recycle may then be conducted to the comminution device for further comminution. The salt enriched fraction may be classified on the basis of size, and that portion having a larger size may be conducted to the comminution device for further processing. Additional steps of size classification may also be beneficially utilized according to the process. The disclosed process allows the efficient recovery of metal from metal-containing dross while significantly reducing the amount of waste salts that must be disposed of in landfills.

Abstract: A process for recovery of substantially all the sulfur in a spent lead-acid battery as Na2SO4 is disclosed. The process comprises (a) breaking the batteries to remove the acid, (b) separating the plastic from the lead bearing materials, (c) smelting the lead bearing materials in a reverberatory furnace in an oxidizing atmosphere to volatilize most of the sulfur in the feed as SO2, (d) scrubbing the SO2 from the off gas stream using a soluble alkaline material such as NaOH, Na2CO3, or KOH to produce a soluble sulfite solution, (e) oxidizing the sulfite solution to sulfate, preferably by turbulent mixing of the solution with air, (f) adjusting the pH by adding the sulfuric acid separated from the batteries, (g) removing the contained heavy metals, (h) crystallizing the sulfate as Na2SO4 or K2SO4, (i) separating a bleed stream from the crystallizer and removing the contained chlorides as a mixed sulfate-chloride product by evaporation of the bleed stream in another crystallizer.

Abstract: A recycling process for garbage containing a high proportion of paper where printed paper is first separated from the garbage. The garbage is then into pieces and light and heavy components are separated out in a classification tank. The remaining organic mass suspended in water is hydrolyzed and subjected to anaerobic digestion followed by aerobic co-composting. The resulting solid is a high grade fertilizer while biogas produced by the process is converted to electrical energy in a combined cycle installation.