(19)
(11) EP 0 323 447 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
24.11.1993 Bulletin 1993/47

(43) Date of publication A2:
05.07.1989 Bulletin 1989/27

(21) Application number: 89200433.4

(22) Date of filing: 21.05.1987
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)4: B03B 5/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB IT SE

(30) Priority: 22.05.1986 GB 8612498

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
87304522.3 / 0247795

(71) Applicant: BRITISH TECHNOLOGY GROUP LIMITED
London SE1 6BU (GB)

(72) Inventor:
  • Mozley, Richard Henry
    Falmouth Cornwall TR11 4RF (GB)

(74) Representative: Neville, Peter Warwick 
Patents Department British Technology Group Ltd 101 Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BU
London SE1 6BU (GB)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Minerals separator


    (57) To separate minerals, they are made up into a slurry A applied via a distributor ring 211 to a hollow tapered cylinder spinning on its axis to generate 10g centrifugal force.
    The cylinder widens at a half-angle of 1°, and its axis is inclined at 2° upwardly in the direction of widening.
    A film of slurry is held centrifugally to the internal surface of the cylinder. The denser (i.e. higher specific gravity) particles in the slurry tend to move preferentially radially outwardly (centrifugally) and to move downwardly in the boundary layer (under Earth's gravity). The action of the washing water B is to displace waste accidentally entrained with the higher-specific-gravity-particles.
    The valuable higher-specific-gravity particles overflow downwardly continuously at C and are collected. The washing water and lower-specific-gravity waste particles move upwardly towards the top edge of the cylinder at C, but are repeatedly swept downwardly by staggered vanes 213 rotating faster than the cylinder. The water and light particles therefore overflow at C but only after numerous 'attempts' each of which improves the reliability of the separation.







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