Method and apparatus for washing and grading silica sand for glass production
AssigneeCDE Global Limited
InventorChristopher McKeown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of washing and grading silica sand for glass production includes removing trash and relatively large contaminants from a sand feed material via a sequence of multiple vibrating screens, collection sumps, hydrocyclones, a density separator, a classification tank, and a dewatering screen. The resulting silica sand product is suitable for glass production.
Claims25
A method of washing and grading silica sand for glass production comprising:
- removing oversize trash and relatively large contaminants from a feed material and an aggregate material on a first vibrating screen having a deck;
- collecting undersize material and water in a sump of the first vibrating screen;
- receiving the undersize material in a first hydrocyclone from the sump of the first vibrating screen;
- separating fine contamination from the undersize material in the first hydrocyclone;
- receiving an underflow from the first hydrocyclone onto a deck of a second vibrating screen and removing undersize material and some water from the underflow from the first hydrocyclone;
- passing oversize material from the second vibrating screen into an attrition scrubber and delaminating clay and other contaminants from the oversize material from the second vibrating screen;
- passing the material from the attrition scrubber onto a third vibrating screen and removing an oversize fraction of the material received from the attrition scrubber;
- collecting undersize material from the third vibrating screen to a sump of the third vibrating screen;
- passing the undersize material from the sump of the third vibrating screen into a second hydrocyclone;
- passing material carried in an underflow from the second hydrocyclone into a density separator and removing relatively high density contaminants and relatively coarse material from the material carried in the underflow from the second hydrocyclone;
- passing the material comprising a relatively low density fraction from the density separator into a third hydrocyclone;
- passing the material carried in an underflow from the third hydrocyclone into a classification tank;
- directing an upwards flow of water through at least one water inlet in the classification tank to remove fine contamination from the material in an overflow from the classification tank;
- passing sand collected in a lower end of the classification tank onto a dewatering screen and dewatering and delivering the sand as a silica sand product suitable for glass production.
An apparatus for washing and grading silica sand for glass production comprising a first vibrating screen having a deck arranged to receive a feed material, oversize trash and aggregate material passing over the deck of said first vibrating screen and undersize material being collected in a sump of said first vibrating screen, a first hydrocyclone receiving undersize material from the sump of the first vibrating screen, a second vibrating screen receiving an underflow from the first hydrocyclone upon a deck thereof, an attrition scrubber being arranged to receive oversize material from the deck of the second vibrating screen to delaminate clay and other impurities from said material, a third vibrating screen having a deck arranged to receive material from said attrition scrubber, said third vibrating screen having a sump receiving undersize material from the deck of the third vibrating screen, a second hydrocyclone being arranged to receive said undersize material from said sump of the third vibrating screen, a density separator being arranged to receive said underflow from said second hydrocyclone to produce a low density fraction and a high density fraction, a third hydrocyclone being arranged to received said low density fraction from said density separator, a classification tank receiving the underflow from said third hydrocyclone, wherein said classification tank incorporates at least one water inlet providing a upwards flow of water therein, material collected in a lower end of said classification tank being passed onto a dewatering screen from which is delivered the washed and classified silica sand product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.