An apparatus for the recovery of gold from a gold-bearing aqueous filtrate, the process comprising the steps of: (A) Contacting the aqueous filtrate with dibutyl carbitol (DBC) in a two-stage solvent extraction process to remove the gold from the aqueous filtrate into the DBC to form a gold-loaded DBC; and (D) Contacting the gold-loaded DBC with an aqueous acid scrub of hydrochloric acid in a four-stage countercurrent scrub process to remove impurities, e.g., non-gold metal, from the DBC into the aqueous scrub solution to form an impurity-loaded aqueous scrub.

Each stage of the solvent extraction circuit and the aqueous acid scrub circuit is equipped with a mixing assembly and a phase separation tank in a head-tail arrangement such that the mixing assembly of one stage is adjacent to the phase separation tank of the adjacent stage.

A multi-layered micro-channel mixer includes a base plate and a cover plate. Two inlet fluid reservoirs, two inlet channels, two groups of fluid distribution channel networks, two groups of process fluid channels, an impinging stream mixing chamber, a fluid mixing intensification channel and an outlet buffer reservoir are provided on the base plate. Two fluids are fed into the two inlet fluid reservoirs, respectively. The fluids then flow into the process fluid channels via the inlet channels and the multi-stage fluid distribution channel networks, respectively. Then the two fluid streams ejected from the opposing process fluid channels impinges upon each other in the impinging stream mixing chamber. The mixed fluid is subjected to vortex or secondary flow generated by the baffles or the internals in the impinging stream mixing chamber and fluid mixing intensification channel, and finally the mixed fluid is discharged through the outlet buffer reservoir.

A mixing apparatus includes a mixing tank configured to receive substances, a rotor arranged in the mixing tank capable of driving a vane to rotate about an axial direction, a stator arranged outside the mixing tank and capable of driving the rotor to contactlessly magnetically rotate about the axial direction and capable of magnetically supporting the rotor with respect to the stator, and a security against tilting device that includes a bar extending in the axial direction and rotationally fixedly connected to the rotor, the security against tilting device having a limiting element fixed with respect to the mixing tank and cooperating with the bar, the security against tilting device being configured such that the bar is capable of rotating with respect to the limiting element and tilting of the rotor is limited by physical contact between the bar and the limiting element.

The present invention relates to containers for holding liquid samples. The containers may be useful for mixing a liquid sample or lysing cells in a liquid sample. The invention also relates to methods of using the containers of the invention.

The present invention relates generally to a horticultural nutrient control system and method for using same. The invention relates to an apparatus, and related methods, for automatically formulating, storing, and dispensing a nutrient solution to one or more horticultural crop, comprising: a) a reservoir unit for receiving a nutrient solution, mixing said nutrient solution, and dispensing said nutrient solution to a corresponding horticultural crop, wherein said reservoir unit comprises: i) a vertical cylindrical tank terminating at a cone-shaped bottom outlet; ii) a plurality of vertical baffles extending from the interior surface of the reservoir unit; and iii) a plurality of fluid eductors positioned along the length of each baffle, said fluid eductors adapted to deliver said nutrient solution in combination with oxygen to said reservoir unit; b) a nutrient delivery assembly fluidly connecting a water source and a plurality of nutritional component sources to said reservoir unit, said nutrient delivery assembly adapted to controllably deliver said water and nutritional components to said reservoir unit through said plurality of fluid eductors; c) controller coupled to said nutrient delivery assembly and adapted to direct the delivery of said water and nutritional components to the reservoir unit; and d) a storage-control unit for housing at least a central processing unit, said nutrient delivery assembly, and said plurality of nutritional component sources, wherein said central processing unit is operably coupled to said controller.

A system for processing foodstuffs includes a container platform, a blade platform, and a locking mechanism. The container platform defines a container receptacle configured to receive a container including foodstuffs. The blade platform includes blades configured to rotate to process the foodstuffs. The locking mechanism is configured to couple the container platform to the blade platform to form a blending chamber including the blades and the container subsequent to determining that the container is received by the container receptacle and prior to rotation of the blades.

A system for processing foodstuffs includes a chamber including foodstuffs, a blade assembly, and a processor. The blade assembly includes blades configured to rotate within the chamber based on initiation of a blend cycle. The processor is configured to determine a trigger event to initiate a cleaning cycle of the blade assembly to remove foodstuffs remaining in the chamber, and execute the cleaning cycle, responsive to detecting the trigger event, by causing fluid to be injected into the chamber, causing the blades of the blade assembly to rotate for a predetermined amount of time, and cause removal of at least a portion of the fluid and the remaining foodstuffs from the chamber.

A system includes a container platform configured to receive a container, a blade assembly and a blade actuator for rotating blades of the blade assembly, a blade platform, and a platform actuator for moving the blade platform between a blade engagement position and a container engagement position. A processor is configured to cause the platform actuator to move the blade platform, prior to a first actuation of the blade actuator, from the container engagement position to the blade engagement position, to cause the first actuation, to cause the platform actuator to move the blade platform towards the container engagement position, to cause the blade platform to return to the blade engagement position, to cause a second actuation of the blade actuator, and to cause the platform actuator to return the blade platform to the container engagement position subsequent to the second actuation.

The present invention relates to containers for holding liquid samples. The containers may be useful for mixing a liquid sample or lysing cells in a liquid sample. The invention also relates to methods of using the containers of the invention.

A method for controlling pressure in a blending apparatus includes sealingly coupling a blade platform to a rim of a vessel including foodstuffs to form a blending chamber. The blade platform includes a blade assembly. The method includes injecting fluid via an opening defined within the blade platform into the blending chamber while the blade platform is sealingly coupled to the vessel. The injection of fluid causes a change in pressure in the blending chamber. The method includes rotating blades of the blade assembly to process the foodstuffs in the blending chamber. The method includes introducing air into the blending chamber to decrease a difference between the pressure within the blending chamber and a pressure external to the blending chamber. The method includes decoupling the blade platform from the rim.