There is disclosed a method and apparatus for separating stones, fibers and plastics from biodegradable material. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises: an inclined trough having a feed entry at a top end for receiving the feed material, the inclined trough including a plurality of riffles angled to at least partially hinder and unsettle a flow of the feed material flowing down the inclined trough; one or more vibratory motors configured to induce a vibration in the inclined trough; one or more blowers configured to generate an air flow through overhead air vent nozzles positioned over the inclined trough and directing the air flow to one side of the inclined trough; and a material resilience separator for separating the contaminants from the biodegradable materials in the remaining material.

A method of valuation of raw fines materials, comprising selectively screening, biotreatment or composting of raw fines materials or selection as fillers in composites. The method comprises screening the raw fines materials to Grade 1 comprising fines materials of a size of at most about 5 mm and Grade 2 comprising fines materials of a size larger than about 5 mm; and at least one of: A) bio-oxydating organic contaminants of the Grade 1; by adding and mixing organic amendment under controlled temperature, nutrients content and water content conditions and monitoring a content of organic contaminants until the content of organic contaminants stops decreasing; and B) composting the Grade 1; by adding and mixing organic amendment under controlled temperature, nutrients content and water content conditions, and monitoring pathogens content and respiration rate; and stopping the addition of organic amendment upon detection of absence of pathogens at a predetermined respiration rate.

A generally elastic riffle assembly useful with a dry washer is provided with a frame that is receivable within the washer opening through which the mined particulates descend while the washer is agitated to separate the denser particulates and a set of inclined transverse riffles aligned across the frame to form wedge shaped transverse cavities in which the descending particulates are collected. Each of the riffles further include a plurality of generally vertical posts attached to their elevated edges which assist in the separation of the particulate flow and in setting off of the various modes of elastic motion of their corresponding riffle.

A method of valuation of raw fines materials, comprising selectively screening, biotreatment or composting of raw fines materials or selection as fillers in composites. The method comprises screening the raw fines materials to Grade 1 comprising fines materials of a size of at most about 5 mm and Grade 2 comprising fines materials of a size larger than about 5 mm; and at least one of: A) bio-oxydating organic contaminants of the Grade 1; by adding and mixing organic amendment under controlled temperature, nutrients content and water content conditions and monitoring a content of organic contaminants until the content of organic contaminants stops decreasing; and B) composting the Grade 1; by adding and mixing organic amendment under controlled temperature, nutrients content and water content conditions, and monitoring pathogens content and respiration rate; and stopping the addition of organic amendment upon detection of absence of pathogens at a predetermined respiration rate.

A method and application of accelerating material cleaning with strong magnet particles are provided. The wind airflow enter from the material inlet to accelerate the material, so that the material particles move at a certain speed, and the position and speed of the material can be controlled when it reaches the highest speed; There are internal strong magnetic field units where the material passes, especially when the material reaches the highest speed; Internal strong magnetic field units are used to generate the internal strong magnetic field. According to the method and application, the internal strong magnetic field is used to eliminate the attractive forces such as electromagnetic force, van der Waals force and liquid bridge between the material and the impurities attached to the surface of the material.

There is disclosed a method and apparatus for separating stones, fibers and plastics from biodegradable material. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises: an inclined trough having a feed entry at a top end for receiving the feed material, the inclined trough including a plurality of riffles angled to at least partially hinder and unsettle a flow of the feed material flowing down the inclined trough; one or more vibratory motors configured to induce a vibration in the inclined trough; one or more blowers configured to generate an air flow through overhead air vent nozzles positioned over the inclined trough and directing the air flow to one side of the inclined trough; and a material resilience separator for separating the contaminants from the biodegradable materials in the remaining material.

Sifting apparatuses for stratifying raw material including a material feed-in device, a material support unit, a gas plenum, a discharge control mechanism, and a reservoir are described. The material support unit receives material from the material feed-in device and has a surface with a plurality of openings for a gaseous medium introduced from underneath the material support unit, thereby effecting loosening and stratification of the material into a layer of relatively heavier material, and a layer of relatively lighter material atop the relatively heavier material. The introduced gaseous medium originates in a pump, is collected in a pressurized reservoir, and is controlled by a metered valve prior to introduction to the material support unit.

Sifting apparatuses for stratifying raw material including a material feed-in device, a material support unit, a gas plenum, a discharge control mechanism, and a reservoir are described. The material support unit receives material from the material feed-in device and has a surface with a plurality of openings for a gaseous medium introduced from underneath the material support unit, thereby effecting loosening and stratification of the material into a layer of relatively heavier material, and a layer of relatively lighter material atop the relatively heavier material. The introduced gaseous medium originates in a pump, is collected in a pressurized reservoir, and is controlled by a metered valve prior to introduction to the material support unit.

A sifting apparatus for stratifying raw material includes a material feed-in device, a material support unit, a gas plenum, and a discharge control device. The material support unit receives material from the material feed-in device and has a surface having a plurality of openings for a gaseous medium introduced from underneath the material support unit, thereby effecting loosening and stratification of the material into a layer of relatively heavier material, and a layer of relatively lighter material atop the heavier material. The introduced gaseous medium originates in a pump, is collected in a pressurized reservoir and is controlled by a metered valve prior to introduction to the material support unit.

A drywasher agitator is configured for use with a hopper and a recovery box. The hopper includes a flow opening formed therein to allow particulate within the hopper to pass through the flow opening and into the recovery box. The recovery box includes a main body and a panel extending from the main body. The agitator includes a wire having a first segment and a second segment. The first segment is connectable to the panel and extends along a first axis and a second segment extends along a second axis angled relative to the first axis. The wire is configured to extend from the panel and into the flow opening during use of the hopper and the recovery box to agitate particulate near the flow opening to mitigate clogging of particulate within the flow opening.