Method and apparatus for mineral matter separation
OwnerRabinder S. Dattainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A combination of raw coal and water is introduced as a slurry into a vessel. Chemicals are introduced at a feet inlet. The mixture is reduced by interaction with a bed of agitated grinding balls. Air is introduced into the lower portion of the vessel and forced upwardly through the circuitous passages among and between the grinding balls. The rising air bubbles carry the more hydropholic product upwardly into a froth compartment of the vessel and through a discharge outlet of the vessel. Wash water is introduced into the upper portion of the vessel and descends through the froth and the ball passages carrying entrained and less hydrophobic particles into the grinding chamber. The non-floatable material flows downwardly from the grinding chamber to a refuse zone for discharge as refuse from the vessel.
Claims19
A process for combined size reduction, classification, and separation of a desired constituent from an undesired constituent of mineral matter comprising the steps of,
- introducing into a vessel a slurry of mineral matter particles of an initial size having a desired constituent physically connected to an undesired constituent,
- directing the slurry of mineral matter particles in a first direction to a size reduction zone of the vessel,
- injecting a separation inducing fluid under pressure into the vessel in a second direction opposite to said first direction into the size reduction zone,
- admixing the fluid and mineral matter particles in the size reduction zone,
- reducing the size of the mineral matter particles from the initial size in the size reduction zone, thereby liberating the desired constituent in the mineral matter from physical connection with the undesired constituent in the mineral matter,
- entraining the desired constituent with the separation inducing fluid in a flow in said second direction from the size reduction zone to a separation zone,
- carrying the undesired constituent in the mineral matter in said first direction in the vessel away from the separation zone to a refuse zone,
- discharging the entrained desired constituent from the separation zone of the vessel, and
- removing the undesired constituent in the refuse zone from the vessel.
The process as set forth in claim 36 wherein the reducing step includes
- generating ultrasonic energy in the size reduction zone,
- exposing the slurry of mineral matter to the ultrasonic energy, and
- exposing the mineral matter particles to the ultrasonic energy thereby liberating the desired constituent from the undesired constituent.
A beneficiation process for combined size reduction, classification, and separation of minerals and other material comprising the steps of,
- feeding for beneficiation into a vessel a slurry of mineral matter particles of an initial size having hydrophobic particles physically connected to hydrophilic particles,
- directing the slurry of mineral matter particles in a first direction to a size reduction zone of the vessel,
- injecting gas under pressure into the vessel in a second direction opposite to said first direction into the size reduction zone,
- admixing the gas and mineral matter particles in the size reduction zone,
- reducing the size of the mineral matter particles from the initial size introduced in the size reduction zone, thereby liberating the hydrophobic particles of the mineral matter from physical connection with the hydrophilic particles of the mineral matter,
- passing the pressurized gas through the size reduction zone thereby generating gas bubbles,
- admixing the hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles with the gas bubbles in the size reduction zone,
- attaching the hydrophobic particles to the gas bubbles, thereby forming a moving column of the hydrophobic particles entrained in a froth,
- discharging the hydrophobic particles entrained in the froth in said second direction from the vessel,
- retaining the hydrophilic particles in the slurry,
- settling the hydrophilic particles in a refuse zone of the vessel, and
- thereafter removing the hydrophilic particles in the refuse zone from the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.