A molecular mixing system. In one embodiment, the molecular mixing system includes a motorized turntable; a speed controller to control the rotational speed of the motorized turntable; a plurality of magnets arranged in a first Halbach array, the first Halbach array located on the motorized turntable and concentric to the axis of the motorized turntable; and a sample conduit having an input port and an output port and having an outer wall defining a lumen, the sample conduit positioned within and concentric with the first Halbach array.

A connection assembly is disclosed for connecting a magnetic separator into a central heating system circuit, the magnetic separator including a housing, a separation chamber within the housing, and externally threaded inlet and outlet ports extending from the housing. The connection assembly comprises: a fitment adapted to be received within at least one of the ports of the separator, the fitment including a bore for carrying fluid from/to the central heating circuit to/from the separator; a threaded connector disposed around the bore for securing the fitment to the or each port, the threaded connector having a hand grip area for facilitating tightening of the connector by hand; and a removable force transfer element receivable between the fitment and the threaded connector for transferring force between the threaded connector and the fitment.

A connection assembly is disclosed for connecting a magnetic separator into a central heating system circuit, the magnetic separator including a housing, a separation chamber within the housing, and externally threaded inlet and outlet ports extending from the housing. The connection assembly comprises: a fitment adapted to be received within at least one of the ports of the separator, the fitment including a bore for carrying fluid from/to the central heating circuit to/from the separator; a threaded connector disposed around the bore for securing the fitment to the or each port, the threaded connector having a hand grip area for facilitating tightening of the connector by hand; and a removable force transfer element receivable between the fitment and the threaded connector for transferring force between the threaded connector and the fitment.

A scrubber wastewater treatment method, according to one possible embodiment, includes obtaining a measurement of a turbidity or of a suspended substance concentration of scrubber wastewater and, upon determining that measurement of turbidity or suspended substance concentration is within a certain range, performing treatment. A scrubber wastewater treatment device, according to one possible embodiment, includes a magnetic powder adding device controllable to add a magnetic powder to be added to scrubber wastewater having been generated by treating combustion exhaust gas in a scrubber, and a controller configured to control an amount of the magnetic powder added by the magnetic powder adding device in accordance with a measurement value obtained by a sensor.

A scrubber wastewater treatment method, according to one possible embodiment, includes obtaining a measurement of a turbidity or of a suspended substance concentration of scrubber wastewater and, upon determining that measurement of turbidity or suspended substance concentration is within a certain range, performing treatment. A scrubber wastewater treatment device, according to one possible embodiment, includes a magnetic powder adding device controllable to add a magnetic powder to be added to scrubber wastewater having been generated by treating combustion exhaust gas in a scrubber, and a controller configured to control an amount of the magnetic powder added by the magnetic powder adding device in accordance with a measurement value obtained by a sensor.

Method for recycling electronic waste are included that enable electronic waste separation and recycling to a high level of separation efficiency and end product purity which are improvements over prior methods. In preferred methods, separated electronic waste which has been subjected to magnetic separation to remove ferrous materials and shredded to an average width of less than about 40 mm is provided and then introduced to a first water tank treated so as to have a specific gravity of about 1.20 to about 1.30 and allowing a first portion of the electronic waste to float in the first water tank and a second portion of the electronic waste to sink in the first water tank; and the second portion of the electronic waste is introduced to a water vibrating table, wherein the remaining second portion of the electronic waste leaving the water vibrating table yields at least about 98% sorted recovered materials comprising pure and clean copper, aluminum, wire, circuit boards, stainless steel and mixed plastics. Other preferred embodiments employ use of a horizontal friction dehydrator in secondary separation, use of color sorting of various plastics, employing fresh-water fed vertical dehydrators at end steps of separation and use of a high purity electrostatic separation process for final products.

Methods are disclosed including a method for performing phase separation of an aqueous-based mixture, including passing an amount of a first aqueous-based mixture through a magnetically conductive conduit having magnetic energy directed along the longitudinal axis of the conduit and extending through at least a portion of the first aqueous-based mixture thereby providing a conditioned aqueous-based medium; establishing a flow of an amount of the conditioned aqueous-based medium through at least one separation apparatus having a capacity to extract at least one of a solid material and a hydrocarbon material from water in the conditioned aqueous-based medium; and separating at least one of a hydrocarbon phase and a solid phase from water in the conditioned aqueous-based medium, wherein at least one of the solid phase and the hydrocarbon phase separates from water in the conditioned aqueous-based medium at an increased rate.

Methods are disclosed including a method for performing phase separation of an aqueous-based mixture, including passing an amount of a first aqueous-based mixture through a magnetically conductive conduit having magnetic energy directed along the longitudinal axis of the conduit and extending through at least a portion of the first aqueous-based mixture thereby providing a conditioned aqueous-based medium; establishing a flow of an amount of the conditioned aqueous-based medium through at least one separation apparatus having a capacity to extract at least one of a solid material and a hydrocarbon material from water in the conditioned aqueous-based medium; and separating at least one of a hydrocarbon phase and a solid phase from water in the conditioned aqueous-based medium, wherein at least one of the solid phase and the hydrocarbon phase separates from water in the conditioned aqueous-based medium at an increased rate.

Methods are provided for separating magnetically responsive beads from a droplet in a droplet actuator. Droplet operations electrodes and a magnet are arranged in a droplet actuator to manipulate a bead-containing droplet and position it relative to a magnetic field region that attracts the magnetically responsive beads. The droplet operations electrodes are operated to control the droplet shape and transport it away from the magnetic field region to form a concentration of beads in the droplet. The continued transport of the droplet away from the magnetic field causes the concentration of beads to break away from the droplet to yield a small, concentrated bead-containing droplet immobilized by the magnet.

Methods are provided for separating magnetically responsive beads from a droplet in a droplet actuator. Droplet operations electrodes and a magnet are arranged in a droplet actuator to manipulate a bead-containing droplet and position it relative to a magnetic field region that attracts the magnetically responsive beads. The droplet operations electrodes are operated to control the droplet shape and transport it away from the magnetic field region to form a concentration of beads in the droplet. The continued transport of the droplet away from the magnetic field causes the concentration of beads to break away from the droplet to yield a small, concentrated bead-containing droplet immobilized by the magnet.