Advanced beneficiation process for beneficiation, mobilization, extraction, separation, and concentration of mineralogical resources
AssigneeAdvanced Fusion Systems LLC
InventorsCurtis Birnbach, William Joyce
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for beneficiation of mineralogical materials that comprises using a one or more of a suite of processes including fluidized bed separation, plasma-based stimulation or enhancement of chemical reactions using a Reactive X-Ray Chemical Processor, field enhancement of chemical reactions and process and drying. All of the processes can be used singly, jointly, simultaneously or sequentially in multiple stages. The methods are nearly non-polluting and serve to replace polluting wet chemistry and other beneficiation techniques.
Claims25
A method for beneficiation of mineralogical materials comprising:
- performing at least one chemical reaction on the mineralogical materials using a process that uses a plasma generated by ionizing radiation and secondary electrons for inducing the at least one chemical reaction, the at least one chemical reaction serving to sever chemical bonds between components of the mineralogical materials to enable separation of targeted metallic elements contained in the mineralogical materials;
- and
- performing at least one separation on the mineralogical materials to retrieve the targeted metallic elements,
- wherein the mineralogical materials contain at least one material selected from the group of a Lanthanide and an Actinide.
A method for beneficiation of mineralogical materials comprising:
- performing at least one chemical reaction on the mineralogical materials using process that uses a plasma generated by ionizing radiation and secondary electrons for inducing the at least one chemical reaction, the at least one chemical reaction serving to sever chemical bonds between components of the mineralogical materials to enable separation of targeted metallic elements contained in the mineralogical materials;
- and
- performing at least one separation on the mineralogical materials to retrieve the targeted metallic elements,
- wherein the mineralogical materials are input as feedstock into a fluidized bed concentrator in which a fluidized bed process occurs.
A method process for beneficiation of mineralogical materials comprising:
- injecting reactants including mineralogical materials into a reaction chamber via conduit shielded from ionizing radiation and secondary electrons;
- performing at least one separation on the mineralogical materials using a fluidized bed process in the reaction chamber;
- and
- performing at least one chemical reaction on the mineralogical materials using process in which a plasma generated by ionizing radiation and secondary electrons induces the at least one chemical reaction.
A method process for beneficiation of mineralogical materials comprising:
- performing at least one chemical reaction on the mineralogical materials using a plasma-based process that generates ionizing radiation and secondary electrons for inducing the at least one chemical reaction;
- and
- performing at least one separation on of the mineralogical materials,
- wherein the mineralogical materials contain at least one material selected from the group of a Lanthanide and an Actinide.
A method process for beneficiation of mineralogical materials comprising:
- generating a plasma in a reaction chamber using X-rays;
- introducing mineralogical materials into the reaction chamber;
- inducing ionization and thereby chemical reactions in the mineralogical materials exposed to the plasma within the reaction chamber, wherein the chemical reactions enable separation of targeted metallic elements contained in the mineralogical materials;
- and
- performing at least one separation on the mineralogical materials to retrieve the targeted metallic elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.