Process and apparatus for separating anthracite or bituminous from refuse

A process for separating Anthracite from refuse comprising the steps of:

• crushing Anthracite coal refuse into an approximate size less than ⅜″×0;
• admixing the crushed Anthracite coal refuse with water in a raw feed sump into an admixture;
• transferring the admixture to a first cyclone separator having a substantially cylindrical chamber further defined by an upper section of a first diameter, a middle section having a second diameter greater than said first diameter reducing the speed of the admixture rotation, and a conical shaped lower section diminishing in diameter from said middle section, said first cyclone separator constructed and arranged to divide said admixture into a refuse rich slurry stream of about 80 Ash content to be discharged from a first apex positioned at the bottom of said lower section and a carbonaceous rich slurry stream drawn from an outlet positioned at said second diameter;
• directing said refuse rich slurry stream through a vibrating screen, said vibrating screen dewatering said refuse rich slurry stream and directing water collected from said dewatering step to said raw feed sump;
• transferring said carbonaceous rich slurry drawn from said outlet positioned at said second diameter of said middle section of said first cyclone separator to a second cyclone separator constructed and arranged to separate low quality carbon of about 45 Ash content from a high quality Anthracite slurry;
• collecting the low quality carbon from a lower section of said second cyclone separator;
• transferring the high quality Anthracite slurry drawn from an intake positioned at an upper section of said second cyclone separator to a third cyclone separator constructed and arranged to separate media from high quality Anthracite slurry of about 12 Ash content;
• returning water separated from the high quality Anthracite slurry drawn from an intake positioned where an upper section defined by a uniform diameter meets a lower section defined by a diminishing diameter of said third cyclone separator to said raw feed sump;
• and
• collecting the high quality Anthracite from a lower section of said third cyclone separator.