Asbestos process
AssigneesICI Australia Limited, Woods Reef Mines Ltd.
InventorsJohn R. Andrews, Philip S. B. Stewart, George T. Hurst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process of recovering asbestos fibre from asbestos-bearing material comprising a first stage of preparing a fibre concentrate by the steps of comminution, classification and spiral concentration and a second stage of liberating and recovering fibre, wherein in the second stage there is a separation by means of a hydrocyclone into a well-opened fraction and a poorly opened fraction, and wherein the asbestos-bearing material is substantially moist throughout the process.
Claims16
A wet process for the recovery of asbestos fibre from asbestos-bearing material which process comprises preparing a fibre concentrate by comminuting said asbestos-bearing material in the presence of water thereby forming a slurry, separating the fibre by means of at least one mechanical classifier and at least one spiral separator, and concentrating the fibre using at least one hydrocyclone of at least 150 mm diameter;
- fractionating said fibre concentrate into a well-opened fibre fraction and a poorly opened fibre fraction by means of at least one hydrocyclone of diameter less than 150 mm;
- and collecting the well-opened fibre fraction on a screen.
A wet process for the recovery of asbestos fibre from asbestos-bearing material which process comprises preparing a fibre concentrate by comminuting said asbestos-bearing material in the presence of water thereby forming a slurry, separating the fibre by means of at least one hydrocyclone of at least 150 mm diameter and at least one spiral separator, and concentrating the fibre using at least one hydrocyclone of at least 150 mm diameter;
- fractionating said fibre concentrate into a well-opened fibre fraction and a poorly opened fibre fraction by means of at least one hydrocyclone of diameter less than 150 mm;
- and collecting the well-opened fibre fraction on a screen.
A wet process for the recovery of asbestos fibre from asbestos-bearing material comprising comminuting said asbestos-bearing material;
- separating said comminuted material into a first crude fibre concentrate and tailings by means of at least one mechanical classifier and at least one spiral separator;
- comminuting said tailings to liberate further fibre;
- separating said comminuted tailing into a second crude fibre concentrate and rock tailings using at least one spiral separator;
- combining said first crude fibre concentrate and said second crude fibre concentrate and further concentrating the combined concentrates to give a fibre concentrate and fibre concentrate tailings by means of at least one hydrocyclone of at least 150 mm diameter;
- fractionating the fibre concentrate to give a well-opened fibre fraction and a poorly-opened fibre fraction using at least one hydrocyclone of diameter less than 150 mm;
- collecting the well-opened fibre fraction on a screen;
- fiberizing the poorly-opened fibre fraction to give a fiberized fraction;
- concentrating said fiberized fraction to give a cleaned fiberized fraction and residual poorly-opened fibre tailings by means of at least one hydrocyclone of diameter less than 150 mm diameter;
- and collecting the cleaned fiberized fraction on a screen.
A wet process for the recovery of asbestos-fibre from asbestos-bearing material comprising comminuting said asbestos-bearing material;
- separating said comminuted material into a first crude fibre concentrate and tailings by means of at least one hydrocyclone of at least 150 mm diameter and at least one spiral separator;
- comminuting said tailings to liberate further fibre;
- separating said comminuted tailing into a second crude fibre concentrate and rock tailings using at least one spiral separator;
- combining said first crude fibre concentrate and said second crude fibre concentrate and further concentrating the combined concentrates to give a fibre concentrate and fibre concentrate tailings by means of at least one hydrocyclone of at least 150 mm diameter;
- fractionating the fibre concentrate to give a well-opened fibre fraction and a poorly-opened fibre fraction using at least one hydrocyclone of diameter less than 150 mm;
- collecting the well-opened fibre fraction on a screen;
- fiberizing the poorly-opened fibre fraction to give a fiberized fraction, concentrating said fiberized fraction to give a cleaned fiberized fraction and residual poorly-opened fibre tailings by means of at least one hydrocyclone of diameter less than 150 mm diameter;
- and collecting the cleaned fiberized fraction on a screen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.