System and process for separating and recovering/recycling solid wastes and waste streams

A separation process for continuously separating a heterogeneous mixture of particulate solids, said solids having a plurality of different specific gravities, using a plurality of liquid media of different specific gravity, said heterogeneous mixture being separated into a plurality of fractions, each of different specific gravity, said process comprising:

• (a) a first separation stage, further comprising introducing said heterogeneous mixture into a first separation vessel, containing a first liquid medium having a first specific gravity of about 1.0, such that said heterogeneous mixture contacts said first liquid medium, a first part of said mixture rising in the liquid medium as float particles, the remaining part settling in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• whereby porous materials present in said heterogeneous mixture having a specific gravity of less than about 1.0 are substantially separated as said float particles;
• (b) removing said float particles from said first vessel, to recover a porous product material;
• (c) removing said sink particles from said first vessel;
• (d) classifying a portion of said sink particles to isolate a waste-derived solid particulate suspension media fraction comprising substantially no organic material or clay;
• (e) a second separation stage, further comprising introducing the portion of said sink material removed from said first separation vessel and not classified, into a second separation vessel, containing a second liquid medium having a second specific gravity, different from the specific gravity of said first liquid medium, said liquid medium including a waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said second specific gravity, such that said remaining sink particles contact said second liquid medium, a first part of said particles rising in the liquid to form float particles, the remaining part settling in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• whereby organic materials present in said remaining sink particles fraction from said first separation stage are substantially separated as float particles;
• (f) removing said organic float particles from said second vessel as a substantially organic particulate mixture;
• and
• (g) removing said sink particles from said second vessel as a substantially inorganic particulate mixture.

A separation process for continuously separating a heterogeneous mixture of particulate solids, said solids having a plurality of different specific gravities, using a plurality of liquid media of different specific gravity, said heterogeneous mixture being separated into a plurality of fractions, each of different specific gravity, said process comprising:

• (a) a first separation stage, further comprising introducing said heterogeneous mixture into a first separation vessel, containing a first liquid medium having a first specific gravity of about 1.0, such that said heterogeneous mixture contacts said first liquid medium, a first part of said mixture rising in the liquid medium as float particles, the remaining part settling in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• whereby porous materials present in said heterogeneous mixture having a specific gravity of less than about 1.0 are substantially separated as said float particles;
• (b) removing said float particles from said first vessel, to recover a porous product material;
• (c) removing said sink particles from said first vessel;
• (d) a second separation stage, further comprising introducing said sink particles from said first separation vessel into a second separation vessel, containing a second liquid medium having a second specific gravity, different from the specific gravity of said first liquid medium, said liquid medium including a waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said second specific gravity, such that said sink particles contact said second liquid medium, a first part of said particles rising in the liquid to form float particles, the remaining part settling in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• whereby organic materials present in said sink particles from said first separation stage are substantially separated as float particles;
• (e) removing said organic float particles from said second vessel as a substantially organic particulate mixture;
• and
• (f) removing said sink particles from said second vessel as a substantially inorganic particulate mixture.

A separation process for continuously separating a heterogeneous mixture of particulate solids, said solids having a plurality of different specific gravities, using a plurality of liquid media of different specific gravity, said heterogeneous mixture being separated into a plurality of fractions, each of different specific gravity, said process comprising:

• (a) a first separation stage, further comprising introducing said heterogeneous mixture into a first separation vessel, containing a first liquid medium having a first specific gravity of about 1.0, such that said heterogeneous mixture contacts said first liquid medium, a first part of said mixture rising in the liquid medium as float particles, the remaining part settling in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• whereby porous materials present in said heterogeneous mixture having a specific gravity of less than about 1.0 are substantially separated as said float particles;
• (b) removing said float particles from said first vessel, to recover a porous product material;
• (c) removing said sink particles from said first vessel;
• (d) a second separation stage, further comprising introducing said sink particles from said first separation vessel into a second separation vessel, containing a second liquid medium having a second specific gravity, different from the specific gravity of said first liquid medium, said liquid medium including a waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said second specific gravity, such that said sink particles contact said second liquid medium, a first part of said particles rising in the liquid to form float particles, the remaining part settling in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• whereby organic materials present in said sink particles from said first separation stage are substantially separated as float particles;
• (e) removing said organic float particles from said second vessel as a substantially organic particulate mixture;
• (f) removing said sink particles from said second vessel as a substantially inorganic particulate mixture;
• (g) recovering and recycling said waste-derived particulate suspension media component into said second separation stage;
• (h) performing at least one additional separation upon said substantially organic particulate mixture, comprising a third separation stage using a third separation vessel containing a third liquid medium having a third specific gravity, different from the specific gravity of each of said first and second liquid mediums, said liquid medium including a waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said third specific gravity, to obtain at least one organic product material;
• and
• (i) performing at least one additional separation upon said substantially inorganic particulate mixture, comprising a fourth separation stage using a fourth separation vessel containing a fourth liquid medium having a fourth specific gravity, different from the specific gravity of each of said first, second and third liquid mediums, said liquid medium including a non waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said fourth specific gravity, to obtain at least one inorganic product material.

A system for continuously separating a heterogeneous mixture of particulate solids having a plurality of different specific gravities, into a plurality of fractions, each of a different specific gravity, using a plurality of liquid media of different specific gravity, comprising:

• a first separation vessel for receiving said heterogeneous mixture, containing a first liquid medium having a first specific gravity of about 1.0, which medium contacts said heterogeneous mixture, for causing a first part of said mixture to rise in the liquid medium as float particles, and the remaining part to settle in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• said vessel including means to remove said separated float particles without intermixture with said sink particles and means to remove said separated sink particles without intermixture with said float particles;
• a classifier for separation of waste-derived particulate suspension media from a portion of the sink particles removed from said first separation vessel, said media comprising substantially no organic material or clay, and
• a second separation vessel for receiving the portion of said sink material removed from said first separation vessel and not processed through said classifier, containing a second liquid medium having a second specific gravity different from the specific gravity of said first liquid medium, said second liquid medium including a waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said second specific gravity, which second medium contacts said residue sink material, for causing a first part of said material to rise in the liquid medium as float particles, and the remaining part to settle in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• said vessel including means to remove said separated float particles without intermixture with said sink particles, as a substantially organic particulate mixture, and means to remove said separated sink particles without intermixture with said float particles, as a substantially inorganic particulate mixture.

A system for continuously separating a heterogeneous mixture of particulate solids having a plurality of different specific gravities, into a plurality of fractions, each of a different specific gravity, using a plurality of liquid media of different specific gravity, comprising:

• a first separation vessel for receiving said heterogeneous mixture, containing a first liquid medium having a first specific gravity of about 1.0, which medium contacts said heterogeneous mixture, for causing a first part of said mixture to rise in the liquid medium as float particles, and the remaining part to settle in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• said vessel including means to remove said separated float particles without intermixture with said sink particles and means to remove said separated sink particles without intermixture with said float particles;
• and
• a second separation vessel for receiving said sink particles from said first separation vessel containing a second liquid medium having a second specific gravity different from the specific gravity of said first liquid medium, said second liquid medium including a waste-derived particulate suspension media component present in a quantity sufficient to attain said second specific gravity, which second medium contacts said residue sink material, for causing a first part of said material to rise in the liquid medium as float particles, and the remaining part to settle in the liquid medium as sink particles,
• said vessel including means to remove said separated float particles without intermixture with said sink particles, as a substantially organic particulate mixture, and means to remove said separated sink particles without intermixture with said float particles, as a substantially inorganic particulate mixture.