Separating constituents of a mixture of particles

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces where said separation influence is chosen from the list of electric field, electric field gradient, magnetic field, magnetic field gradient, shear field, acceleration field, temperature gradient, vibration, gravitation field, flow field, shear gradient, concentration gradient, chemical affinity;
• means to mechanically transport material without requiring pneumatic, gravitational or hydraulic conveyance in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• wherein more than one separation influence developing means is provided.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• wherein more than one means to introduce a material mixture into said separation chamber is provided.

A method of separating different components of a mixture of a material in a separation chamber comprising the steps of:

• a. admitting said material into the separation chamber, said separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• b. impressing a separation influence toward at least one of said confronting surfaces of said separation chamber;
• c. separating said different components in the direction of said separation influence according to their relative influencability to said separation influence;
• d. mechanically moving components of like net influencability in streams each of unlike net influencability near each other transversely to said separation influence, said streams being in communication parallel to said separation influence, so as to transfer a portion of at least one of said components to another of said respective streams of virtue of the continued action of said separation influence as said streams progress transversely to said separation influence;
• e. removing separated streams from said separation chamber;
• where the temperature of regions in the separation chamber is regulated as a function of distance in the direction of motion of said streams.

A method of separating different components of a mixture of a material in a separation chamber comprising the steps of:

• a. admitting said material into the separation chamber, said separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• b. impressing a separation influence toward at least one of said confronting surfaces of said separation chamber;
• c. separating said different components in the direction of said separation influence according to their relative influencability to said separation influence;
• d. mechanically moving components of like net influencability in streams each of unlike net influencability near each other tansversely to said separation influence, said streams being in communication parallel to said separation influence, so as to transfer a portion of at least one of said components to another of said respective streams of virtue of the continued action of said separation influence as said streams progress transversely to said separation influence;
• e. removing separated streams from said separation chamber;
• where two different materials are each admitted to different regions of the separation chamber at different distances along the direction of motion of said streams, so as to develop a countercurrent flow of components from the two admitted materials between said admitting regions so as to facilitate the transfer of a least one component from one of said streams to another of said streams.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• wherein said separation chamber incorporates temperature controlling means.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• where said separation influence is developed by an alternating periodic electric potential.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• where said separation influence is developed by an alternating periodic magnetic potential.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• where said separation influence is a shear gradient developed by the interaction of said mechanical transport means and said confronting separation chamber walls.

A method of separating different components of a mixture of a material in separation chamber comprising the steps of:

• a. admitting said material into the separation chamber, said separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• b. impressing a separation influence toward at least one of said confronting surfaces of said separation chamber;
• c. separating said different components in the direction of said separation influence according to their relative influencability to said separation influence;
• d. mechanically moving components of like net influencability in streams each of unlike net influencability near each other transversely to said separation influence, said streams being in communication parallel to said separation influence, so as to transfer a portion of at least one of said components to another of said respective streams of virtue of the continued action of said separation influence as said streams progress transversely to said separation influence;
• e. removing separated streams from said separation chamber;
• where a component - component interaction chosen from the list of adsorption, ion exchange, antibody binding, pH equilibrium, solvent extraction, phase equilibrium, vapor liquid equilibrium, phase partitioning capillary adhesion, bubble attachment, wetability is used to enhance the recovery of a desired component.

A method of separating different components of a mixture of a material in a separation chamber comprising the steps of:

• a. admitting said material into the separation chamber, said separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• b. impressing a separation influence toward at least one of said confronting surfaces of said separation chamber;
• c. separating said different components in the direction of said separation influence according to their relative influencability to said separation influence;
• d. mechanically moving components of like net influencability in streams each of unlike net influencability near each other transversely to said separation influence, said streams being in communication parallel to said separation influence, so as to transfer a portion of at least one of said components to another of said respective streams of virtue of the continued action of said separation influence as said streams progress transversely to said separation influence;
• e. removing separated streams from said separation chamber;
• wherein said streams are mechanically moved by an endless transport belt.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• wherein said mechanical means furthermore removes adhering layers of particles from said confronting surfaces.

A method of separating different components of a mixture of a material in a separation chamber comprising the steps of:

• a. admitting said material into the separation chamber, said separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• b. impressing a separation influence toward at least one of said confronting surfaces of said separation chamber;
• c. separating said different components in the direction of said separation influence according to their relative influencability to said separation influence;
• d. mechanically moving components of like net influencability in streams each of unlike net influencability near each other transversely to said separation influence, said streams being in communication parallel to said separation influence, so as to transfer a portion of at least one of said components to another of said respective streams of virtue of the continued action of said separation influence as said streams progress transversely to said separation influence;
• e. removing separated streams from said separation chamber;
• providing a barrier interposed between said separating streams;
• wherein said barrier is permeable to at least one of said components.

Apparatus for separating different components of a mixture of material comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber;
• wherein more than one means to remove separated components from said separation chamber is provided.

A method of separating different components of a mixture of a material in a separation chamber comprising the steps of:

• a. admitting said material into the separation chamber, said separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• b. impressing a separation influence toward at least one of said confronting surfaces of said separation chamber;
• c. separating said different components in the direction of said separation influence according to their relative influencability to said separation influence;
• d. mechanically moving components of like net influencability in streams each of unlike net influencability near each other transversely to said separation influence, said streams being in communication parallel to said separation influence, so as to transfer a portion of at least one of said components to another of said respective streams of virtue of the continued action of said separation influence as said streams progress transversely to said separation influence;
• e. removing separated streams from said separation chamber,
• wherein one of said components of the mixture is a liquid.

Apparatus for separating at least two different components of a mixture comprising:

• a separation chamber having means defining confronting surfaces spaced more closely than the respective lengths of said confronting surfaces;
• means to apply a separation influence across the smaller dimension of the separation chamber toward one of said confronting surfaces;
• means to mechanically transport material in streams running transversely to said separation influence, and with said separation influence deflecting influence components from said streams in accordance with their influencability;
• and
• means to remove separated components from said separation chamber,
• wherein one of said components is a liquid.