A method of separating sludge which involves adding an insoluble mineral colloidal suspension into an industrial sludge to destabilize the industrial sludge and separating destabilized components of the industrial sludge. The insoluble mineral colloidal suspension includes magnesium hydroxide. In an alternative embodiment dry finely divided magnesium hydroxide can be added and then dispersed into an industrial sludge. Conventional flocculants and/or coagulants can also be added. Conventional physical separation processes can be used to separate the destabilized industrial sludge.

A process for the depression of iron sulphides and other disposable elements in the mineral concentration by flotation and electrochemical reactor. The proposed invention represents a method based on the action of electrodes on the mineral, which can replace, compliment or minimise the consumption of chemical reagents, as well as improving the effect thereof.

A process for cleaning and dewatering hydrophobic particulate materials is presented. The process is performed in in two steps: 1) agglomeration of the hydrophobic particles in a first hydrophobic liquid/aqueous mixture; followed by 2) dispersion of the agglomerates in a second hydrophobic liquid to release the water trapped within the agglomerates along with the entrained hydrophilic particles.

The coal-derived solid hydrocarbon particles are discrete particles of coal-derived carbonaceous matter having a particle size less than about 10 μm that are substantially free of inherent or entrained mineral matter. The particles of have an average particle size in the range from 1 μm to 8 μm. The particles of coal-derived carbonaceous matter are milled to a size approximately the same as a size of coal-derived mineral matter inherent in the coal source to release inherent coal-derived mineral matter particles such that the particles of carbonaceous matter and the particles of mineral matter are discrete and separable solid particles. Following separation, less than 1.5 wt. % discrete coal-derived mineral matter particles are associated with the discrete particles of coal-derived carbonaceous matter. Particles of coal-derived solid hydrocarbon matter are blended with a gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon fuel to form a two-phase hydrocarbon fuel feedstock.

A flotation process for treating coal slime in which coal slime, a collecting agent and a frothing agent are fed into an ore slurry pretreater, and salt-containing waste water of coal chemical industry discharged from a coal chemical enterprise is fed as dilution water into the ore slurry pretreater and mixed together to complete mineralization; the mineralized ore slurry is subjected to a rough separation operation, the products obtained in the rough separation operation are subjected to a fine separation operation, and the ash content of the fine separation tailings is tested with an ash analyzer; the tailings are returned into the ore slurry pretreater for separation again if the ash content of the fine separation tailings is greater than 20%; otherwise the tailings are discharged as fine separation tailing products if the ash content of the fine separation tailings is smaller than 20%; the fine separation tailing products discharged through a pipeline enter into a pressure filter for dehydration, and filter cakes are discharged as a finally accepted concentrate product after the dehydration in the pressure filter.

The present invention relates to functionalized hollow glass microspheres for recovering fine hydrophobic particles, and to their preparation method. The invention also relates to a system for carrying out the method for preparing the functionalized microspheres, to a method for selectively recovering fine material and, lastly, to the use of the microspheres in the separation of, inter alia, minerals, micro drops of organic materials, plastics, and pollutants.

A process is described for manufacturing white pigment containing products. The white pigment containing products are obtained from at least one white pigment and impurities containing material via froth flotation.

Apparatus uses engineered collection media to recover mineral particles in a mineral extraction process, e.g., for processing a tailings stream at the end of a flotation separation process. The engineered collection media are added to slurry/tailings containing the mineral particles. The engineered collection media have collection surfaces coated with a chemical selected for attracting the mineral particles to the collection surfaces so the engineered collection media becomes mineral laden media in the slurry/tailings in a loading stage. The apparatus include three stages: removing unwanted material from mineral laden media; using a stripping agent to strip the mineral particles from the mineral laden media; and separating the engineered collection media from the mineral particles and the stripping agent. The stripping agent is reused for stripping, and the engineered collection media are returned to the loading stage. The engineered collection media can have a smooth or foam-like surface.

Apparatuses to remove entrapped air and debris from bitumen are provided. The apparatuses include a tank comprising a first and second compartment with a separating surface therebetween. Bitumen froth can be received in the first compartment and can flow from the first compartment to the second compartment via the separating surface along a first portion of the flow path. The debris is separated from the bitumen in the first compartment and eliminated through a disposal aperture to form intermediate bitumen. The intermediate bitumen then travels along a second portion of the flow path to the second compartment where it is heated to allow entrapped air to escape and form processed bitumen, prior to exiting from the apparatus. The apparatus is particularly suitable for removing entrapped air and debris from bitumen mined from bituminous sands. Related processes for operating the apparatuses are also provided.

Provided is a method for recovering gold in a cyanide tailing by hierarchical ramified flotation. The method divides a cyanide tailing into coarse and fine-grained products through screen classification, making preparation for hierarchical ramified flotation. The method then conducts flotation of the coarse and fine-grained products with suitable process parameters and reagent systems, and selects a suitable coarse-grained flotation product as a carrier of fine-grained flotation to maximize the recovery efficiency of fine grains. The method improves the overall recovery rate of gold with the hierarchical ramified flotation of coarse and fine grains, series-carrier flotation and combined reagent enhanced flotation. The method has an advanced process, a good separation effect, and can effectively recover fine-grained gold in the cyanide tailing.