A method for washing and separating pieces of plastics material from contaminating material that also includes metal elements, comprises the steps of: supplying, to a washing container, a washing fluid, having a first specific weight value , and the pieces of plastics material joined to the contaminating material; driving, in the washing container, a stirring arrangement provided with blades for generating in the washing fluid a turbulent stirring action to remove from the plastics material, through mechanical action, the part of contaminating material adhering thereto. The tilt of the blades and the rotation speed of the stirring arrangement are chosen carefully to generate a thrusting action upwards so as to maintain in a floating condition the plastics material with a specific weight that is greater than the specific weight of the fluid; the force of the thrusting action is limited to a value that is such as not to hinder the downward precipitation of the contaminating metal elements that have a further specific weight value that is greater than the aforesaid second value. The plastics material is retained inside the container for sufficient time to obtain a desired degree of purity and decontamination for the plastics material, after which it is evacuated by controlled overflow. The heavy contaminating material, in particular the metal elements that accumulate on the bottom, are periodically evacuated by a device of valve or pump type. The apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method is also disclosed.

The present invention is a novel gold pan and associated method for improved yield of gold during the panning process. The gold pan has a continuous curved sidewall and a base, wherein the curved sidewall and the base are used for collecting gold. A portion of the curved sidewall has a plurality of ripples, each ripple having a ridge, an extending lip, and a cavity, the cavity is used for trapping black sand and gold particles, wherein a vortex of mixture of water, gravel, sand and more is produced in the pan and upon circulating and repeating of the pan, the gravels and blonde sand is rinsed out while leaving the black sand including the gold behind. The process does not require a user to keep looking in the pan during the panning process and improves the yield of the gold or other gemstones being panned.

The present invention is a novel gold pan and associated method for improved yield of gold during the panning process. The gold pan has a continuous curved sidewall and a base, wherein the curved sidewall and the base are used for collecting gold. A portion of the curved sidewall has a plurality of ripples, each ripple having a ridge, an extending lip, and a cavity, the cavity is used for trapping black sand and gold particles, wherein a vortex of mixture of water, gravel, sand and more is produced in the pan and upon circulating and repeating of the pan, the gravels and blonde sand is rinsed out while leaving the black sand including the gold behind. The process does not require a user to keep looking in the pan during the panning process and improves the yield of the gold or other gemstones being panned.

A method of washing and grading silica sand for glass production includes removing trash and relatively large contaminants from a sand feed material via a sequence of multiple vibrating screens, collection sumps, hydrocyclones, a density separator, a classification tank, and a dewatering screen. The resulting silica sand product is suitable for glass production.

A method of washing and grading silica sand for glass production includes removing trash and relatively large contaminants from a sand feed material via a sequence of multiple vibrating screens, collection sumps, hydrocyclones, a density separator, a classification tank, and a dewatering screen. The resulting silica sand product is suitable for glass production.

Method for washing a plastics material and for separating contaminating substances therefrom comprises the steps of: supplying a first flow of a washing fluid together with the plastics material with contaminants to a washing container in which a stirrer generates a turbulent action to detach mechanically the contaminants adhering to the plastics material, enabling a first fraction of heavier contaminants to precipitate onto a first bottom portion of the container, thus performing a first action of separating contaminants; transferring a second flow: of fluid with floating plastics material from the container to a first separating chamber, in which a second separating action takes place with the precipitation of a second fraction of the contaminants onto a second bottom portion of the first chamber; conveying a third flow of fluid with floating plastics material from the first chamber to a second separating chamber and evacuating by overflowing an outgoing flow of fluid together with the processed plastics material; in the transit froth the first chamber to the second chamber the agglomerates of floating plastics are disaggregated, and to the third flow and to the plastics material a downward propelling action inside the second chamber is imparted to promote a third separating action with precipitation of a third fraction of the contaminants onto a third bottom portion of the second chamber; removing from the second chamber a recirculation flow comprising precipitated fluid and contaminants and sending the recirculation flow to a screen unit that retains the contaminants, returning the washing fluid to the first or second chamber. The apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method is also disclosed.

A method for separating black mass from electrodes of spent lithium ion batteries includes separating electrode pieces from remainder of material of a portion of a spent lithium ion battery. The electrode pieces are heated to a temperature in a range from about 200? C. to about 350? C. for a predetermined period of time to obtain pre-heated electrode pieces. The pre-heated electrode pieces are disposed in a neutral liquid to obtain a first suspension. Ultrasound vibrations are applied to the first suspension to separate the black mass and the binder from the metal pieces. Metal pieces, binder material and black mass from the electrode pieces are then segregated to obtain black mass.

A method for separating black mass from electrodes of spent lithium ion batteries includes separating electrode pieces from remainder of material of a portion of a spent lithium ion battery. The electrode pieces are heated to a temperature in a range from about 200? C. to about 350? C. for a predetermined period of time to obtain pre-heated electrode pieces. The pre-heated electrode pieces are disposed in a neutral liquid to obtain a first suspension. Ultrasound vibrations are applied to the first suspension to separate the black mass and the binder from the metal pieces. Metal pieces, binder material and black mass from the electrode pieces are then segregated to obtain black mass.

A process for trichome separation from plant matter deploys an ionic brine to induce oedemic transformation of disk cell to aid in releasing glandular trichomes. The brine can be agitated to further release disk cells from the plant tissue. The disk cell debris can be separated by sieving the larger trichomes and plant tissue particles that results from agitation and maceration. If the brine concentration is appropriately modified, the trichomes will float and the brine and the plant tissue fragments sink. The floating trichomes are then removed and rinsed and then dried or extracted further after drying.

A system and method of scheduling tasks, comprising receiving activity and performance data from registers or storage locations maintained by hardware and an operating system; storing calibration coefficients associated with the activity and performance data; computing an energy dissipation rate based on at least the activity and performance data; and scheduling tasks under the operating system based on the computed energy dissipation rate.