Ore rock is disintegrated into extremely fine rock fraction in a slurry by subjecting the slurry in selective orders of application of excitation forces and energy to cause spontaneous cavitation to occur in the slurry. The excitation forces and energy are provided by electrodynamic discharges, hydrostatic force, hydrodynamic energy, and sonic vibrations.

The invention relates to a method for operating a high-voltage pulse system (1), preferably a system (1) for the fragmenting and/or weakening of material (2) by means of high-voltage discharges, with an energy store (3) for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device (4) for charging the energy store (3). According to the method, in the intended high-voltage pulse operation, a sequence of high-voltage pulses is generated with the system (1) and thereby the energy store (3) is discharged completely at each high-voltage pulse and is only after the expiry of a charging pause (LP) recharged again for the next high-voltage pulse by means of supplying charging energy with the charging device (4).

By means of the operating method according to the invention, a time window is created between two successive high-voltage pulses each, in which the energy store(s) are substantially completely discharged and no charging-voltage is applied. Thereby it becomes possible to short-circuit or earth the energy store (3), respectively, without a short-circuiting or earthing current flowing thereby.

The invention relates to a method for operating a high-voltage pulse system (1), preferably a system (1) for the fragmenting and/or weakening of material (2) by means of high-voltage discharges, with an energy store (3) for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device (4) for charging the energy store (3). According to the method, in the intended high-voltage pulse operation, a sequence of high-voltage pulses is generated with the system (1) and thereby the energy store (3) is discharged completely at each high-voltage pulse and is only after the expiry of a charging pause (LP) recharged again for the next high-voltage pulse by means of supplying charging energy with the charging device (4).

By means of the operating method according to the invention, a time window is created between two successive high-voltage pulses each, in which the energy store(s) are substantially completely discharged and no charging-voltage is applied. Thereby it becomes possible to short-circuit or earth the energy store (3), respectively, without a short-circuiting or earthing current flowing thereby.

A composite material is produced from carpet waste and a binding agent, in intimate association, and may also include wood fiber or chips and/or other additives. A method of manufacturing a composite material includes shredding carpet waste, coating the carpet waste with a binding agent, and subjecting the shredded, coated carpet waste to elevated heat and pressure. As an additional step, the composite material may be actively cooled to prevent deformation of the material.

The invention relates to a process for recycling articles comprising a composite material, the composite material comprising a polymer matrix and a reinforcement, said process being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: introducing the article into a reactor suitable for heating the article, heating the article in the reactor at a given temperature, in order to destructure the polymer matrix, separating the reinforcement from the destructured polymer matrix, and contacting the reinforcement with a first heat-transfer means in order to recover heat.
The invention also relates to a system for recycling an article made of composite material.

A sediment buster is used for water heater draining. The sediment buster includes a main body defining a conduit and configured to be coupled to a drain outlet of a tank of the water heater. The conduit is configured to transport a fluid into the drain outlet to break up sediment accumulated at the drain outlet inside the tank. A first connector at an end of the main body is configured to be coupled to the drain outlet of the tank, and a second connector is at an opposite end of the main body. An inlet valve is positioned on the main body and configured to receive the fluid to be sent into the drain outlet via the conduit and the first connector. A shut-off valve is positioned on the main body between the inlet valve and the second connector to selectively regulate the direction of flow of the fluid within the conduit from the inlet valve. A fluid supply device is coupled to the inlet valve for selectively supplying the fluid to be sent into the drain outlet via the conduit and the first connector.

A sediment buster is used for water heater draining. The sediment buster includes a main body defining a conduit and configured to be coupled to a drain outlet of a tank of the water heater. The conduit is configured to transport a fluid into the drain outlet to break up sediment accumulated at the drain outlet inside the tank. A first connector at an end of the main body is configured to be coupled to the drain outlet of the tank, and a second connector is at an opposite end of the main body. An inlet valve is positioned on the main body and configured to receive the fluid to be sent into the drain outlet via the conduit and the first connector. A shut-off valve is positioned on the main body between the inlet valve and the second connector to selectively regulate the direction of flow of the fluid within the conduit from the inlet valve. A fluid supply device is coupled to the inlet valve for selectively supplying the fluid to be sent into the drain outlet via the conduit and the first connector.

A process of manufacturing a free-flowing solid encapsulated drag reducing additive comprises: forming a solid drag reducing additive from one or more C.sub.5-20 olefin monomers; dispersing the solid drag reducing additive in a liquid medium to form a dispersion, the liquid medium comprising an encapsulant and a non-solvent; grinding the solid drag reducing additive in the liquid medium under non-cryogenic grinding conditions to form an encapsulated drag reducing additive in a particulate form; and removing the non-solvent by a drying technique including spray drying, flash drying, or rotating disc drying to form the free-flowing solid encapsulated drag reducing additive.

Systems and methods to remediate, degrade, and/or remove pollutants within various contaminated environmental solid media that includes contaminated soils and sediments, biosolids and slurries by subjecting a mixture of the contaminated solids and a liquid to acoustic cavitation generated by more than one type of ultrasonic device. One of the ultrasonic devices operates at a low frequency and the other ultrasonic device operates at a high frequency. The system advantageously provide an efficient, sustainable, and easy to handle approach to degrade contaminant, requiring only electrical energy

A method is disclosed for separating plastic and cellulose from post-consumer absorbent sanitary products. The method includes sterilizing successive batches of post-consumer absorbent sanitary products in at least one rotary autoclave. The method further includes shredding the sterilized absorbent sanitary products and obtaining sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose. The method further includes drying the sterilized and shredded material containing plastic and cellulose, and separating cellulose from plastic from said sterilized, shredded and dried material in at least one centrifugal separator.