Provided is a device for continuously decomposing a rare earth concentrate ore. The device includes a body, a bidirectional propeller and a driving assembly. The body has a material inlet, two liquid inlets and two exhaust gas outlets disposed at the top of the body, two material outlets disposed at the bottom of the body and a heat preservation chamber provided inside a side wall of the body. The bidirectional propeller is provided in the body and extends along a length direction of the body. The driving assembly is connected to the rotating shaft.

Aggregate washing systems are described including mechanisms for slurrying, washing and/or dewatering aggregate material.

A method for the application of hydrous mineral binder compositions which contain fibres. An aqueous accelerator is mixed with the aqueous binder composition in a mixer shortly before the application. The method is very robust and makes it possible to quickly produce even large moulded bodies having a uniform surface and very good strength development properties.

A system for separating solids from a fluid mixture includes a vessel including a first chamber to receive a solid-laden fluid mixture, and a second chamber to receive liquids separated from the solid-laden fluid mixture. In certain aspects, at least one eductor is disposed in the first chamber to flow the solid-laden fluid mixture out of the first chamber. In certain aspects, an auger is disposed in the first chamber to move at least solids of the solid-laden fluid mixture out of the first chamber.

Aggregate washing systems are described including mechanisms for slurrying, washing and/or dewatering aggregate material.

An apparatus configured to process foodstuff materials can include an exterior tube, an inner shaft, and multiple differently shaped protrusions. The exterior tube can have a foodstuff inlet, an outlet, and a longitudinal axis, and can be configured to facilitate the conveyance of foodstuff materials along a material passage from the foodstuff inlet to the outlet. The inner shaft can be located within the exterior tube, can extend along the longitudinal axis, and can combine with the exterior tube to define the material passage. The inner shaft can be configured to be rotationally driven. The multiple differently shaped protrusions can be coupled to and extend from the inner shaft, and these differently shaped protrusions can be configured to process the foodstuff materials when the inner shaft is rotationally driven. Processing can include conveying, agitating, and/or hydrating the foodstuff materials.

A device for dispersing a water-soluble polymer in powder form having a standard particle size of less than 1 mm, includes: a wetting chamber, a chamber for grinding and discharging the dispersed polymer with a horizontal axis of revolution, and a mechanism for connecting the wetting chamber to the grinding chamber in the form of an L-shaped tube. The upper and lower parts of the wetting chamber and the L-shaped tube have an internal surface with an identical surface tension (TS1). The cover of the wetting chamber has an internal surface with a surface tension (TS2) higher than the surface tension (TS1) of the internal surface of the upper and lower parts of the wetting chamber and the L-shaped tube.

The invention provides a method of operating a batch mixer for producing first and second numbers of mixtures from first and second numbers of batches of materials to be mixed in the batch mixer, the batch mixer comprising a mixing chamber, a mixing element disposed within the mixing chamber, the mixing element and the mixing chamber being configured for providing an identical flow of the materials to be mixed within the mixing chamber and around the mixing element regardless of in which of the first and second opposite directions the mixing element is rotated, and a motor assembly coupled to the mixing element for rotating the mixing element for mixing the first and second numbers of batches of materials to be mixed for producing the first and second numbers of mixtures. The method comprises the steps of energizing said motor assembly for rotating said mixing element in said first direction, for each one of the first number of batches of the materials to be mixed: loading the one of the first number of batches of materials to be mixed into the mixing chamber, mixing the one of the first number of batches of materials for producing one of the first number of mixtures, and removing the one of the first number of mixtures from the mixing chamber, energizing the motor assembly for rotating the mixing element in the second direction, and for each one of the second number of batches of the materials to be mixed loading the one of the second number of batches of materials to be mixed into the mixing chamber, mixing the one of the second number of batches of materials for producing one of the second number of mixtures, and removing the one of the second number of mixtures from the mixing chamber.

Systems and methods describe continuously and progressively hydrating material, such as food material for meat analogue products. First, material is provided to be conveyed through a material passage between an exterior tube and a rotating inner shaft, with the rotating inner shaft including one or more agitation and/or progression features. The progression features could be, e.g., a series of imbricated protruding filled paddles arranged in a helical pattern, while the agitation features could take the form of, e.g., unfilled hoops, hooks, or paddles. Concurrent to conveying and hydrating the material through the material passage, a number of lumps, clumps, and/or unhydrated pieces of the material are broken up via one or more agitation features configured to produce uniform hydration and consistent dispersal of the material. Also concurrently or subsequently, water is continuously and/or progressively provided to the material to produce hydrated material particles.

A mixer unit comprising a mixing chamber is disclosed. In one example, the mixing chamber comprises a de-agglomerator with a de-agglomeration shaft with de-agglomeration paddles, and a mixer with a mixer shaft with two or more mixing paddles that are arranged for mixing and impelling particles and powders in an upstream direction towards the de-agglomerator, whereby the de-agglomeration shaft is arranged above, and in parallel with said mixer shaft, so that all particles will be impelled towards the de-agglomerator, each time particles are lifted. A first portion of the mixing chamber may also have an inner profile adjacent and curved about an upper part of the de-agglomerator and is arranged to guide particles and powders impelled by the mixing paddles over the de-agglomeration shaft and into a liquid spray.