Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and systems for effectively separating carbonate gangue from bastnaesite without sacrificing significant REO grade or recovery. In some embodiments, centrifugal concentrators may beneficiate Ultra-Fine (UF) bastnaesite and calcite bearing flotation concentrates. The disclosed methods, devices, and systems can achieve initial gravity REO recoveries exceeding 90% while rejecting on the order of 25% to 35% of the total calcium from an assortment of rougher and cleaner flotation concentrates. Addition of stages of cleaner UF Falcon gravity separation may be operated in an open circuit configuration, from an original fine feed of 35 microns containing 50.5% REO and 5.5% Ca, to upgrade up to approximately 59% REO and 2.0% calcium. The disclosed methods, devices, and systems may comprise UF gravity concentration that may provide for recovery of rare earth oxides at levels of greater than 70%, 80% and 90%, while also rejecting more than 15%, 20%, 25%, 30, or 35% of the total calcium. Also described are benefication of fine feed of 35 microns containing 50.5% REO and 5.5% Ca, to approximately 59% REO and 2.0% calcium. In some embodiments, the disclosed methods, compounds, and systems may be used to complement existing or modified flotation systems.

Multiple site purification can be achieved by a small plastic portable voltaic inspissation unit in a box configuration. Each unit may feature an air hopper, a recirculation line, a gas diffuser, a centrifuge, a decanter, and multiple anodic and cathodic voltaic inspissation plates that may direct fluid through a box in a meandering or serpentine fashion. Multiple devices may be present or omitted, and retention times may be varied both by the presence or absence of recirculation and the flow rate accomplished by use of different metal in the plates depending on purification goals. Air may be injected interstitially prior to passage into the box to aid in purification, and ultimately both ease of transport and substantially improved purification percentages may be achieved relative to prior systems.

A separator for separating a first from a second phase of a liquid in a tubular container includes a float made of elastic material having a circumferential sealing edge and at least one ballast fastened to the underside of the float. The density of the ballast is greater than the density of the float and the density of the entire separator lies in a value range between the density of the first phase and the density of the second phase of the liquid. In order to ensure an unrestricted light inflow of the liquid into volume regions of the container lying below the separator in the initial position, the float is designed disk-shaped; and that the ballast is designed in the form of a plurality of fingers extending away from the underside of the disk-shaped float, distributed at its edge.

A disposable blood separation set and a centrifugal blood processing system comprising a blood processing chamber adapted to be mounted on a rotor of a centrifuge; a frustro-conical cell separation chamber in fluid communication with the processing chamber, the cell separation chamber having an inlet, a primary outlet and a side tap outlet adjacent the inlet. A valve that is responsive to centrifugal force (a “gravity” valve) selects between the outlet and the side tap outlet. The gravity valve is mounted on the rotor. When the rotor spins at high speed, the gravity valve may open the primary outlet and close the side tap outlet. When the rotor spins at a lower speed, the gravity valve may open the side tap outlet and close the primary outlet.

The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

There is described a process and an apparatus for purifying a mixture and related products. In particular, there is described a process and an apparatus for purifying a mixture comprising fats, oils and greases as are typically found in sewer waste. The process involves heating, acidifying and separating the mixture. The apparatus used includes a heating and separation device for separating into a solid fraction, an organic liquid fraction and an aqueous liquid fraction. Apparatus such as a three phase separation unit and a rotary vacuum filter may also be used.

The present in relates to methods and uses for preparing biological extracts using Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) as hydrotropic agents, methods for purifying biological extracts formed using Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) as hydrotropic agents, the biological extractions obtained using the methods and uses and the use of the biological extracts, such as in food-stuffs, flavours and fragrances, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutraceuticals and supplements, such as food supplements and sports supplements.

In at least one embodiment, the invention provides a retrofit for existing water treatment systems where the retrofit includes at least one of the following: a particulate separator, a supplementary inlet, and a waveform disk-pack turbine. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a water treatment system combined with at least one of the following: a particulate separator, a supplementary inlet, and a waveform disk-pack turbine.

Provided is a method for preparing water-soluble astaxanthin complex. The method includes mixing a raw material containing astaxanthin with a solution containing an organic acid and performing cell disruption and leaching and can enable natural astaxanthin to interact with components such as proteins, nucleic acids, or polysaccharides that naturally exist in the raw material, so as to directly prepare water-soluble astaxanthin complex without modifying astaxanthin. The method requires a natural source of astaxanthin, has low equipment requirements and production costs, is simple to operate, green and safe with no organic solvent residues, and easy to industrialize.

The representative figure is FIG. 1.

A mechanical separator for separating a fluid sample into first and second phases within a collection container is disclosed. The mechanical separator may have a separator body having a through-hole defined therein, with the through-hole adapted for allowing fluid to pass therethrough. The separator body includes a float, having a first density, and a ballast, having a second density greater than the first density. A portion of the float is connected to a portion of the ballast. Optionally, the float may include a first extended tab adjacent a first opening of the through-hole and a second extended tab adjacent the second opening of the through-hole. In certain configurations, the separator body also includes an extended tab band disposed about an outer surface of the float. The separator body may also include an engagement band circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the separator body.