Method particularly intended for separating mercury compounds and mercury alloys in solid particle form from a fluid, and an apparatus for carrying out the method

An apparatus for separating solid particles, particularly mercury compounds and alloys, from a fluid, such as dental waste water, contaminated therewith, comprising a first vessel, a fluid inlet opening into a first annular space at the upper part of said vessel, an outlet for purified fluid at the lower part of said vessel, a rotatable container in communication with said first annular space to receive contaminated fluid therefrom, a motor having a drive shaft connected to said container centrally thereof for rotating the same, said container having a vertical peripheral wall and an upper horizontal wall depending from the outer periphery thereof to collect particles centrifugally urged thereagainst owing to the rotation of said container, a circular horizontal guide flange fixedly mounted at the bottom of said first annular space and surrounding the latter, said first annular space opening into said container beneath said flange to lead contaminated fluid into said container, said flange leaving a second annular space between the outer periphery thereof and the inner surface of said vertical peripheral wall for allowing the passage of contaminated fluid, a third annular space being defined between said upper horizontal wall and an outer wall surrounding said first annular space to conduct fluid liberated from said collected particles to a fourth annular space communicating with said outlet for purified fluid, and means at the lower part of said rotatable container communicating with a collecting means for recovering a mixture of fluid and particles having been collected at the peripheral part of said container on the cessation of rotation of said rotatable container.