Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and a process for separating particles in a slurry based on different physical, magnetic and/or chemical properties of the particles, the slurry including a mixture of solid particles and/or liqid particles which are immiscible in the slurry. The process comprises: tangentially introducing a stream of the slurry into a cylindrical chamber having a cylindrical inner wall with sufficient volume and pressure to develop a vortex in the slurry which extends downwardly from an upper end; introducing air into the stream during at least a portion of its upward travel, the air being introduced to the stream through means located at the chamber inner wall and for developing the air bubbles which move into the stream; the chamber being of a height sufficient to allow the stream to develop into a whirlpool at the chamber upper end; directing the whirlpool stream outwardly at the open end into a catch basin surrounding the open end; and separating the floating air bubbles with lighter hydrophobic particles from the heavier particles by collecting outwardly floating air bubbles with an upper zone of the catch basin.

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First Claim