US 4,054,513 AGranted

Magnetic separation, method and apparatus

AssigneeEnglish Clays Lovering Pochin & Company Limited

InventorWilliam Windle

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Abstract

In the method and apparatus described a high intensity magnetic field is established in a first zone. A quantity of fluid having magnetizable particles suspended therein is passed through a first separating chamber containing magnetizable packing material and disposed within the first zone, so that the magnetizable particles are magnetized by the magnetic field and attracted to the packing material. The first separating chamber is then moved out of the first zone and into a second zone and a second separating chamber containing magnetizable packing material is moved into the first zone. The magnetizable particles attracted to the packing material of the first separating chamber are removed within the second zone; and, concurrently with this process, a further quantity of fluid having magnetizable particles suspended therein is passed through the second separating chamber disposed within the first zone, so that the magnetizable particles are magnetized by the magnetic field and attracted to the packing material. The high intensity magnetic field is at this time continuously maintained in the first zone.

Claims24

Dependent claims

Apparatus, suitable for separating magnetisable particles from a fluid in which they are suspended, said apparatus comprising:

a. superconductive electromagnet means for establishing a continuous high intensity magnetic field in a first zone,
b. a plurality of elongate separating chambers coupled to each other with their axes aligned along a common axial direction,
c. two openings provided in each of the said separating chambers for permitting fluid to enter and leave the separating chambers, the separating chambers being otherwise completely enclosed,
d. a fluid permeable and magnetisable packing material provided in each of the separating chambers so that fluid flowing between the two openings passes through the packing material,
e. means for moving said separating chambers reciprocatingly in the axial direction into and out of the first zone so as to move one of the separating chambers into the first zone and the other or another separating chamber outside of the first zone,
f. means for passing fluid having magnetisable particles suspended therein into one of the openings of the one separating chamber, when the one separating chamber is positioned within the first zone, wherein magnetisable particles are magnetised by the high intensity magnetic field and are attracted to the packing material within that separating chamber, as the fluid passes through the packing material and exits through the other opening in the separating chamber, and
g. removal means for removing the magnetisable particles attracted to the packing material within a separating chamber which has been in the first zone, when that separating chamber has been moved into a second zone by said moving means.

4 more elements

A method of separating magnetisable particles from a fluid in which they are suspended, utilizing a plurality of elongate separating chambers coupled to each other with their axes aligned along a common axial direction, wherein each separating chamber is completely enclosed except for two openings for permitting fluid to enter and leave the separating chamber and wherein each separating chamber contains a fluid permeable and magnetisable packing material so disposed within the separating chamber that fluid flowing between the two openings passes through the packing material, which method comprises:

a. establishing a high intensity magnetic field in a first zone,
b. passing a quantity of said fluid having magnetisable particles suspended therein through one opening of one of the separating chambers disposed within the first zone, so that the magnetisable particles are magnetised by the magnetic field and attracted to the packing material, as the fluid passes through the packing material and exits through the other opening,
c. moving the one separating chamber in a first sense along the axial direction out of the first zone and into a second zone and moving another separating chamber in the axial direction into the first zone,
d. removing the magnetisable particles attracted to the packing material from the one separating chamber within the second zone,
e. concurrently with (d), passing a further quantity of said fluid having magnetisable particles suspended therein to one opening of said another separating chamber within the first zone, so that the magnetisable particles are magnetised by the magnetic field and attracted to the packing material, as the fluid passes through the packing material and exits through the other opening,
f. where necessary repeating steps (c) to (e) until all of said plurality of separating chambers have passed through said first zone,
g. repeating steps (c) to (f) by moving said plurality of separating chambers in the sense opposite to the first sense along the axial direction,
the high intensity magnetic field being continuously maintained in the first zone throughout (b) to (g).

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/632,654Filed 17 Nov 1975 · continuation in part
Priority: UK 32926/7310 Jul 1973
Granted: 18 Oct 1977
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B03C 1/027
High gradient magnetic separators: with reciprocating canisters
Y10S 505/933
Separating diverse particulates: in liquid slurry
B03C
Magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids
Y10S
Technical subjects covered by former uspc cross-reference art collections [xracs] and digests