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US 6,681,938 B1Granted
Device and method for separating minerals, carbon and cement additives from fly ash
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsThomas A. Link, Micael R. Schoffstall, Yee Soong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for separating organic and inorganic particles from a dry mixture by sizing the particles into isolated fractions, contacting the sized particles to a charged substrate and subjecting the charged particles to an electric field to separate the particles.
Claims13
A process for removing organic and inorganic particles, based on their electric charge and size, from a dry mixture comprising:
- a) sizing the mixture into a plurality of particle fractions;
- b) isolating the fractions from each other;
- c) transporting the particles through a venturi feed system;
- d) contacting the particles to a plurality of charge inducing substrates selected from the group consisting of copper, polytetra-fluoroethylene, Nylon, and aluminum, to create charged and uncharged particles;
- e) subjecting the particles to an electric field comprising a first set of positively charged plates arranged colinearly with each other and wherein each of the plates of the first set are spaced from each other to define a plurality of channels, and a second set of negatively charged places arranged colinearly with each other, wherein each of the plates of the second set are spaced from each other to define a plurality of channels, and wherein the second set is juxtaposed to the first set to define a passage between the first set and the second set;
- and
- f) collecting the separated particles.
4 more elements
A device for separating particles from a mixture, the device comprising:
- a) a means for sizing the particles;
- b) a venturi feed system for transporting the particles;
- c) a tribo-charger having charge inducing surfaces for imparting a positive charge, negative charge, or neutral charge to the particles;
- d) a first set of positively charged plates arranged colinearly with each other and wherein each of the plates of the first set are spaced from each other to define a plurality of channels:
- and a second set of negatively charged places arranged colinearly with each other, wherein each of the plates of the second set are spaced from each other to define a plurality of channels, and wherein the second set is juxtaposed to the first set to define a passage between the first set and the second set for separating the particles;
- and
- e) a means for collecting the particles.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.