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.

Provided is a method that enables sufficient separation of an egg shell and an egg shell membrane from each other even in a small scale, using a simpler configuration than conventional methods. The method for separating an egg shell and an egg shell membrane from each other includes a step of adding an egg shell with an egg shell membrane attached thereto to a swirling flow of an alkaline solution.

A separator for separating sand from organic matter comprises a first compartment (11) for receiving and separating a mixture of sand, organic matter and liquid, a plurality of liquid inlets (29) in a bottom region of the first compartment (11) for introducing liquid into the bottom region of the first compartment and generating an upward liquid flow in the first compartment, means (47) for removing organic matter from the top of the mixture in the first compartment (11), an outlet in an upper region of the first compartment (11) for the discharge of organic matter and liquid, and an outlet (9) in a lower region of the first compartment for the discharge of sand and liquid.

A classifier cleaning and optimization device is provided. The device includes a chamber that is adapted to contain a fluidized bed, an array of two or more adjacently arranged inclined plates positioned above the fluidized bed wherein an inclined channel is formed between each pair of adjacent inclined plates, and a means for introducing a process liquid into the chamber between the fluidized bed and the array of inclined plates such that in use, the process fluid travels through at least one of the inclined channels. A method of cleaning the separation section of a classifier is also disclosed herein.

Devices, systems, and methods for separating waste stream with high glass concentrations to recover desired materials are described. The devices, systems, and methods may include a wet separator, a multi-stage screen(s), shredder(s), rising velocity separator(s)/jig(s), magnetic pulley(s), eddy current separator(s), and/or optical sorters.

A hydraulic density separation device for separating a heavy material fraction with components of higher density from a light material fraction with components of lower density from a feed material includes a conveying device for conveying away the heavy material fraction, receiving chamber which can be filled with water for receiving the feed, a flow generator for generating a water flow in the receiving chamber and a water-fillable separation chamber for receiving the light material fraction. The conveying device has a shaft with a screw conveyor section for conveying the heavy material fraction out of the receiving chamber. The flow generator is designed and arranged such that a flow path of the water flow leads from the receiving chamber into the separation chamber. The conveying device has, in addition to the screw conveyor section, at least one washing section having a plurality of separate paddles arranged on the shaft.

An apparatus and method for removing an underflow stream is provided suitable for removing an underflow stream from a separator, such as a mineral particle separator. In one aspect, the separator can include a discharge outlet for discharging the underflow stream, and the apparatus can include a source of pressurised fluid, a first conduit for fluidly connecting the pressurised fluid source to the discharge outlet such that the pressurized fluid is directed to impede the flow of the underflow stream in the first conduit, thereby creating a fluidisation zone, and a second conduit fluidly connected to the first conduit so that material from the fluidisation zone flows into the second conduit for removal from the apparatus.

Hydraulic classifiers are provided for sorting material using injected water. Some embodiments include upper and lower housings having different cross-sectional shapes. In some embodiments, certain improvements are provided for cleanout and/or removal or replacement of teeter bars.

The present invention provides an apparatus for feeding a feed slurry into a particle separator having a fluidisation source. The feed apparatus comprises a chamber having at least one baffle for dividing the chamber into a first zone and a second zone. A feed inlet feeds the slurry into the first zone and the baffle deflects the slurry away from the second zone and direct fluidisation fluid from the fluidisation source through the second zone to combine with the slurry from the first zone. A particle separator incorporating the feed apparatus and a method of particle separation is also provided.

Hydraulic classifiers are provided for sorting material using injected water. Some embodiments include upper and lower housings having different cross-sectional shapes. In some embodiments, certain improvements are provided for cleanout and/or removal or replacement of teeter bars.