Apparatus and Method for Treating Slurries

A material treatment apparatus comprising:

• a first compartment including:
• an inlet for receiving supply of slurry material;
• and
• a first material conduction space for conducting flow of the supplied slurry material in a downwardly direction;
• a second compartment including a second material conduction space for receiving a first intermediate material of the supplied slurry material and conducting the first intermediate material in an upwardly direction;
• a baffle for interfering with conducting of the supplied slurry material from the first material conduction space to the second material conduction space;
• a diffuser plate disposed within the first compartment and configured to, upon interaction with the supplied slurry material, to effect adjustment to the flow characteristics of the supplied slurry material to generate a downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material;
• wherein the diffuser plate is disposed, relative to the baffle, such that the baffle directs the downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material to a space below the first baffle;
• and wherein the first material conducting space is fluidly coupled, below the baffle, to the second material conduction space, such that the first intermediate material fraction of the downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material is conducted to the second material conduction space from below the baffle;
• and
• a collection region disposed below the first and second compartments for collecting a separated solids-comprising fraction that has separated, by gravity settling, from the supplied slurry material.

A process of separating material fractions from a supplied slurry material comprising;

• flowing the supplied slurry material in a downwardly direction so as to effect interaction between the supplied slurry material and a turbulent flow mitigation device, wherein the interaction effects adjustment to the flow characteristics of the supplied slurry material to generate a downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material, wherein the flow characteristics of the supplied slurry material are transformed from turbulent flow to laminar flow;
• re-directing flow of at least a fraction of the downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material in an upwardly direction;
• and
• collecting a separated solids-comprising fraction that has separated, by gravity settling, from the flow characteristic-adjusted supplied slurry material.

A process of separating material fractions from a supplied slurry material comprising:

• flowing the supplied slurry material in a downwardly direction so as to effect interaction between the supplied slurry material and a diffuser, wherein the interaction effects adjustment to the flow characteristics of the supplied slurry material to generate a downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material;
• re-directing flow of at least a fraction of the downwardly flowing flow characteristic-adjusted slurry material in an upwardly direction;
• and
• collecting a separated solids-comprising fraction that has separated, by gravity settling, from the flow characteristic-adjusted supplied slurry material.