A copper/molybdenum separation system uses sea water in the roughing circuit and desalinated water in cleaning circuit. In both roughing circuit and cleaning circuit, hydrophobic engineered media are used to recover the mineral particles of interest. The cleaning circuit includes a molybdenum loading stage configured to contact the conditioned pulp with the engineered media in an agitated reaction chamber, and load the hydrophobic molybdenite on the engineered media.

A flotation device having a flotation tank for receiving liquid to be purified, a saturator for receiving a pressurized liquid-gas mixture and at least one feeder. A line leads from the saturator to the feeder through which the pressurized liquid-gas mixture may be introduced into the flotation tank. The feeder includes a flow channel that has different flow cross sectional areas along the extension thereof. The flow channel may be a Venturi nozzle.

A separation system is disclosed for separating selected particles from a mixture of particles in a fluid. The system includes a froth flotation vessel 10 into which in use the mixture of particles and fluid are subjected to an upward flow of an introduced gas to form a froth layer 13 which rises above an interface 14 formed between the froth layer 13 and the mixture of particles and fluid 12, such that a quantity of the selected particles is conveyed out of the vessel 10 by the froth layer 13 to become a first product of the system. The vessel 10 also has a first outlet 29 arranged in use for receiving a flow of some of the mixture of particles and fluid from the vessel 10, an entry to the first outlet 29 being located in a region proximate to, but below, the interface 14. The vessel also has a second outlet 20 arranged in use for receiving a flow of some of the mixture of particles and fluid from a region of the vessel 10 which is located below the first outlet 29. In use the first outlet 29 receives a quantity of the selected particles which were not conveyed out of the vessel by the froth layer 13, and the second outlet 20 receives a quantity of the selected particles in a first by-product of the system. The first by-product comprises a relatively higher percentage of solids compared to the flow of particles and fluid in the first outlet 29. The flow of the mixture of particles and fluid from the vessel 10 via the first outlet 29 passes to a classification device 31, 76 which separates the flow into two or more fractions on the basis of their size or density or a combination of the two.

The present invention comprises a process and apparatus for separation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing produced water, wherein in stage 1 the hydrocarbon-containing produced water is supplied with a gas-containing component, whereupon a gas- and hydrocarbon-containing produced water mixture is fed to an inlet tube (22, 27) in the center of a tank, whereupon the said mixture is tangentially distributed via at least one nozzle (7) and at least one baffle plate (8.1), whereupon separated hydrocarbons are conveyed to at least one outlet from the tank and cleaned water is conveyed to an outlet (12) from the tank.

An ultrafine bubble cleaning apparatus uses a liquid containing ultrafine bubbles having a size of less than 30 nm to rinse fine particles adhered to soil, sand, etc. to separate and collect the fine particles. The ultrafine bubble cleaning apparatus includes a water tank-shaped reservoir, a stirring device, a supernatant discharge device including a pump for discharging a supernatant of the liquid in the reservoir, and a sedimentation extraction device. Substances are loaded into the ultrafine bubble-containing liquid stored in the reservoir, and the ultrafine bubble-containing liquid is repeatedly brought into contact with the surface of the substance using the stirring device. When ultrafine bubbles get into a space between fine metal particles adhered to the surfaces, cracks, and pits of the substances to be cleaned (including metal ions) and fine particles of organic substances including a solvent, a chemical, and oil, the fine particles are separated and floated.

The present invention comprises a process and apparatus for separation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing produced water, wherein in stage 1 the hydrocarbon-containing produced water is supplied with a gas-containing component, whereupon a gas- and hydrocarbon-containing produced water mixture is fed to an inlet tube (22, 27) in the center of a tank, whereupon the said mixture is tangentially distributed via at least one nozzle (7) and at least one baffle plate (8.1), whereupon separated hydrocarbons are conveyed to at least one outlet from the tank and cleaned water is conveyed to an outlet (12) from the tank.

A flotation machine includes a stator positioned in a tank adjacent a rotor. The stator has a plurality of vanes. Each of the vanes has a plurality of slots formed therein. Each of the slots has a shape that is elongated in a direction along the width of the vane in which the slot is formed. Each of the vanes is spaced apart from the other vanes to which that vane is adjacent. The vanes are positioned in series adjacent a periphery of the stator to define a central opening within the stator that is sized such that the rotor of a flotation machine may be positioned therein. The stator may be retrofitted onto a prior flotation machine installation. For instance, a stator may be offered for sale and then installed onto a flotation machine. A previous stator may be removed before the installation of the new stator.

Several agitators for generating a mixture are described which generally have a housing and an impeller rotatably mounted within the housing. The impeller has a first end with a first end face, and plurality of protuberances and at least one compressed gas channel outlet disposed on the first end face. The agitator also has a mixing chamber that is located adjacent to the plurality of protuberances, a fluid inlet extending through the housing for supplying a mixing fluid to the mixing chamber, and a fluid outlet extending through the housing for discharging the mixture from mixing chamber. When the compressed gas and the mixing fluid are supplied to the mixing chamber, the compressed gas becomes uncompressed gas, and rotation of the impeller agitates the uncompressed gas and the mixing fluid and disperses the uncompressed gas and at least a portion of the mixing fluid to generate the mixture.

A flotation line for treating mineral ore particles suspended in slurry is disclosed. The flotation line includes a scavenger part and a scavenger cleaner part. The flotation line is characterized in that the scavenger part or the scavenger cleaner part includes a flotation cell with blast tubes for introducing slurry infeed into the flotation cell; or in that the scavenger part or the scavenger cleaner part is followed by a flotation cell with blast tubes for introducing slurry infeed into the flotation cell. Further, a use of the flotation line is presented, as well as a flotation plant including a flotation line according to the invention.

A separation system is disclosed for separating selected particles from a mixture of particles in a fluid. The system includes a froth flotation vessel 10 into which in use the mixture of particles and fluid are subjected to an upward flow of an introduced gas to form a froth layer 13 which rises above an interface 14 formed between the froth layer 13 and the mixture of particles and fluid 12, such that a quantity of the selected particles is conveyed out of the vessel 10 by the froth layer 13 to become a first product of the system. The vessel 10 also has a first outlet 29 arranged in use for receiving a flow of some of the mixture of particles and fluid from the vessel 10, an entry to the first outlet 29 being located in a region proximate to, but below, the interface 14. The vessel also has a second outlet 20 arranged in use for receiving a flow of some of the mixture of particles and fluid from a region of the vessel 10 which is located below the first outlet 29. In use the first outlet 29 receives a quantity of the selected particles which were not conveyed out of the vessel by the froth layer 13, and the second outlet 20 receives a quantity of the selected particles in a first by-product of the system. The first by-product comprises a relatively higher percentage of solids compared to the flow of particles and fluid in the first outlet 29. The flow of the mixture of particles and fluid from the vessel 10 via the first outlet 29 passes to a classification device 31, 76 which separates the flow into two or more fractions on the basis of their size or density or a combination of the two.