A method and system for separating valuable material, such as precious metals and rare earth elements, from a raw material, such as coal, is disclosed. The system may include a crusher or pulverizer for producing finely crushed material. This crushed material may be made into a slurry and placed into an econosizer for separating material by its specific gravity. High specific gravity material may be further refined using magnets, separators, or centrifuges, among other disclosed components of the system.

A separation apparatus for separating a supply of high-level nuclear waste (HLW), where the HL nuclear waste is separated into high-mass and low-mass portions. The high-and-low mass portions of the HLW have respective atomic masses that are above and below an atomic mass cut-off point of the separation apparatus. The separation apparatus includes first and second ICP torches that are respectively mounted to and within an apparatus housing. The apparatus housing defines a cylindrical separation chamber and includes first and second magnetic elements which generate a magnetic field along the length of the separation chamber, and a plurality concentric ring electrodes which generate an electric field that is perpendicular to, and which crosses the magnetic field. The supply of HLW is subject to a mass separation process within the separation chamber using the set of crossed electric and magnetic fields.

A magnetic separator for the dry separation of material particles having different magnetic susceptibilities includes a rotatable cylinder that has a stationary magnetic device arranged therein, and extending essentially across its length. A sorting chamber is furthermore provided for which extends along at least a portion of the outer surface of the cylinder in the circumferential direction of the cylinder and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. The magnetic separator includes means for the dispersed output of material particles into the sorting chamber, as well as means for generating a stream of conveying air in the sorting chamber. A motor for rotating the cylinder around its longitudinal axis is included, wherein, during operation, the outer surface of the cylinder is moved by the rotation of the cylinder in a direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of the stream of conveying air.

A sorting apparatus is provided for sorting selected magnetically attractable articles from non-selected magnetically attractable articles in a stream of articles. A sensor generates sensor signals representative of a property associated with a selected class of magnetically attractable articles. A separator device includes an array of magnets. A controller receives sensor signals from the sensor, identifies a location within the stream of articles of a selected magnetically attractable article, and selectively activates one or more magnets of the array of magnets and thereby magnetically attracts the selected magnetically attractable article from a first trajectory into a second trajectory while allowing non-selected magnetically attractable articles to continue along the first trajectory.

A sorting apparatus is provided for sorting selected magnetically attractable articles from non-selected magnetically attractable articles in a stream of articles. A sensor generates sensor signals representative of a property associated with a selected class of magnetically attractable articles. A separator device includes an array of magnets. A controller receives sensor signals from the sensor, identifies a location within the stream of articles of a selected magnetically attractable article, and selectively activates one or more magnets of the array of magnets and thereby magnetically attracts the selected magnetically attractable article from a first trajectory into a second trajectory while allowing non-selected magnetically attractable articles to continue along the first trajectory.

A solid-core ring-magnet having one or more cavities is provided. The magnet can have an overall cylindrical shape or a rectangular-prism shape. In either case, a portion of cavity walls of the magnet are ring shaped, causing the magnetic field lines to emanate from the magnet so that the bead formation is in the shape of a ring. A bead separation magnet having a discontinuous or segmented cavity wall is also provided. The segmented cavity wall causes bead formation to form in a segmented or gapped ring to allow for easier manual pipetting. Also provided are systems and kits having the inventive magnets. Methods of purifying a macromolecule using the inventive magnets are also provided.

An apparatus for a selective fractionation of ultrafine particles includes at least three separating columns fluidically connected in series by connecting lines. An infeed is arranged to feed into a connecting line which is arranged upstream of each separating column. Each connecting line comprises an inlet for a suspension of ultrafine particles to be separated and an inlet for at least one additional mobile phase. The inlets are alternately operated. A discharge branches off from a connecting line which is arranged downstream of each separating column. Each connecting line comprises an outlet for a first and a second discharge suspension of the ultrafine particles. The outlets are alternately operated. A control means provides a simultaneous switching of the through-flow switching position of the shutoff valves at the inlets and outlets. At least one magnetic field source for a magnetic field is arranged in each separating column.

An apparatus, comprising a magnetically conductive conduit having a fluid entry port, a fluid impervious boundary wall and a fluid discharge port defining a fluid impervious flow path through the magnetically conductive conduit, at least one end of the conduit having a taper forming a planar surface extending from an outer to an inner surface; an electrical conductor comprising a length of an electrical conducting material having a first and second conductor lead, the electrical conductor coiled with at least one turn to form an uninterrupted coil of electrical conductor encircling a section of the outer surface of the magnetically conductive conduit; and an electrical power supply operably connected to at least one of the first and second conductor leads, wherein the at least one coiled electrical conductor is thereby energized to provide a magnetic field having lines of flux directed along a longitudinal axis of the magnetically conductive conduit.

A magnetic separator and methods of use are provided for continuous feeding of a material feed flow at high production feed rates without rotation of large heavy steel parts through high intensity magnetic fields. The magnetic separators use stationary magnetic matrices and redirect a material feed flow and a flushing fluid flow between the stationary magnetic matrices. Magnetic fields within the stationary magnetic matrices are modulated based on reception of a material feed flow or a flushing fluid flow to optimize separation processes and purging processes. The magnetic separators also collect and direct the separated components to isolated collection sites.

The apparatus comprises a lateral arrangement of a plurality of magnetic elements, wherein at least two, more than two or all magnetic elements are arranged adjacent to each other, a flow-through tube wherein the magnetic axes of the at least two magnetic elements of the arrangement are almost or fully parallel to each other and almost or fully perpendicular to the plane of the arrangement, wherein magnetic poles of neighbouring magnetic elements, which magnetic poles are arranged directly adjacent to each other parallel to the plane of the arrangement, have different polarities. The arrangement and the tube are movable relative to each other such that the arrangement and the tube can be approached to and/or detached from each other. When the tube is approached to the arrangement, it is at least partially arranged along at least two magnetic elements.