A process for refining sand for use as frac sand includes the steps of passing the sand through a first fines separation stage to remove fine particles of contaminant from the sand, reducing the water content of the sand (such as to less than 20%), passing the sand into an attrition scrubber unit containing moving blades to delaminate clay and other contaminants from the sand grains, passing the sand from the attrition scrubber unit through a second fines separation stage to separate fine contaminants from the sand, and dewatering the resulting sand product in a further dewatering stage.

The invention is intended for integrated decontamination of soils contaminated with mercury (amalgam) or/and radionuclides. Method for soil decontamination includes preparation of pulp by mixing soils with water at the soil sampling point with separation of fraction with fragments more than 100 mm in the pulp preparation module, disintegration of pulp and soil aggregates in the disintegration module with separation of plants residues and fraction with fragments more than 10 mm. Pulp thickening. In the hydroclassification module the pulp is separated into sand and fine particle fractions, the fine particle fraction goes to the dehydration module, designed as a concentrator, where it is thickened and dehydrated for further disposal. If mercury and amalgam are present in soils they are separated in the thickening module. Technical result—implementation of a low-waste nonchemical technology for decontamination of soil from mercury, its water-insoluble forms, amalgam or/and radionuclides in a single technological process without equipment resetting, separation of metal mercury or its amalgam.

The invention is intended for integrated decontamination of soils contaminated with mercury (amalgam) or/and radionuclides. Method for soil decontamination includes preparation of pulp by mixing soils with water at the soil sampling point with separation of fraction with fragments more than 100 mm in the pulp preparation module, disintegration of pulp and soil aggregates in the disintegration module with separation of plants residues and fraction with fragments more than 10 mm. Pulp thickening. In the hydroclassification module the pulp is separated into sand and fine particle fractions, the fine particle fraction goes to the dehydration module, designed as a concentrator, where it is thickened and dehydrated for further disposal. If mercury and amalgam are present in soils they are separated in the thickening module. Technical result—implementation of a low-waste nonchemical technology for decontamination of soil from mercury, its water-insoluble forms, amalgam or/and radionuclides in a single technological process without equipment resetting, separation of metal mercury or its amalgam.

A system for separating coal from iron oxide and sulfur comprises a first tank having crusher to grind the coal. Steam is directed into the first tank to mix with the coal to produce a maximum substrate area for chemolithotrophic bacteria and algal species to act upon. A mechanical pulverizer is fed with the coal and steam. A sieve and a second tank receiving the coal from the pulverizer apparatus. An air exchanger connected to the second tank collects nanosized particulates of coal. A pipeline feeds the coal within the second tank with a mixture of chemolithophic bacteria from a breeding tank. A holding tank receives the mixture of coal and chemolithophic bacteria. A centrifuge receives the mixture of coal and chemolithophic bacteria from the holding tank and separates the coal from the mixture. A fourth tank receive the separated and hydrated coal particles from the centrifuge.

Disclosed are systems and methods for refractory recycling that result in refined individual refractory components from a network of aggregate refractory components based on a fragmentation process. In one embodiment, a network of refractory aggregates is crushed and deposited into a refiner machine. The refiner machine includes a blast chamber that houses a projecting mechanism. The deposited aggregate material is propelled from the projecting mechanism at a critical velocity. Upon impact with an inner lining of material within the blast chamber, contaminant particles can fracture apart from the deposited aggregate material, leaving a refined individual refractory component.

Disclosed are systems and methods for refractory recycling that result in refined individual refractory components from a network of aggregate refractory components based on a fragmentation process. In one embodiment, a network of refractory aggregates is crushed and deposited into a refiner machine. The refiner machine includes a blast chamber that houses a projecting mechanism. The deposited aggregate material is propelled from the projecting mechanism at a critical velocity. Upon impact with an inner lining of material within the blast chamber, contaminant particles can fracture apart from the deposited aggregate material, leaving a refined individual refractory component.

A method of separating grains of valuable minerals, precious metals, rare-earth metals, precious and semi-precious stones from natural ores in the aquatic environment by means of the phenomenon of adhesion, consecutively covering stages such as: initial separation consisting in sieving fractions up to 5000 μm from alluvial (rubble) ore or crushing primary (rock) ore to a fraction causing the separation of valuable minerals from gangue and where appropriate separating ferromagnetics from ores by means of a known method; forming the suspension by mixing the initially separated fraction of ore with liquid; adsorption of valuable minerals from the suspension on the adhesive coating and also recovering water from the process; and desorption of particles of valuable minerals from the adhesive coating; wherein lanolin or its mixtures with additives are used to form the adhesive coating in the separator, whereby, the content of lanolin in the mixture is not less than 80%.

A method of separating grains of valuable minerals, precious metals, rare-earth metals, precious and semi-precious stones from natural ores in the aquatic environment by means of the phenomenon of adhesion, consecutively covering stages such as: initial separation consisting in sieving fractions up to 5000 μm from alluvial (rubble) ore or crushing primary (rock) ore to a fraction causing the separation of valuable minerals from gangue and where appropriate separating ferromagnetics from ores by means of a known method; forming the suspension by mixing the initially separated fraction of ore with liquid; adsorption of valuable minerals from the suspension on the adhesive coating and also recovering water from the process; and desorption of particles of valuable minerals from the adhesive coating; wherein lanolin or its mixtures with additives are used to form the adhesive coating in the separator, whereby, the content of lanolin in the mixture is not less than 80%.

A defined mineral phase is separated from a ground ore having several chemical phases and being present in a heterogeneous particle size distribution by classifying the ore according to a defined particle diameter into at least two fractions, a first fraction having particles essentially larger than the defined particle diameter and a second fraction having particles essentially smaller than the defined particle diameter, and the defined mineral particles of value being present in both fractions, floating the first fraction having the greater particle diameters and selecting the defined mineral particles of value in a flotation concentrate, selectively admixing the defined mineral particles of value in the fraction having the smaller particle diameters with magnetizable particles, applying a magnetic separation process to the second fraction having smaller particle diameters, and separating a concentrate with an enrichment of the defined mineral phase of value.

A defined mineral phase is separated from a ground ore having several chemical phases and being present in a heterogeneous particle size distribution by classifying the ore according to a defined particle diameter into at least two fractions, a first fraction having particles essentially larger than the defined particle diameter and a second fraction having particles essentially smaller than the defined particle diameter, and the defined mineral particles of value being present in both fractions, floating the first fraction having the greater particle diameters and selecting the defined mineral particles of value in a flotation concentrate, selectively admixing the defined mineral particles of value in the fraction having the smaller particle diameters with magnetizable particles, applying a magnetic separation process to the second fraction having smaller particle diameters, and separating a concentrate with an enrichment of the defined mineral phase of value.