Fiberboard or chipboard is made by first comminuting vegetable starting material in a first comminutor into a stream of loose plant particles with silicate particles. Then, in a first classifier silicate particles of a diameter of less than 50 μm are separated from the plant particles of the stream. The plant particles remaining in the stream are then glue-coated, and the stream is pressed into fiberboard or chipboard.

The present invention discloses a method and corresponding apparatus for separating lightweight materials from fabric pieces. The method comprises the steps of (a) introducing fabric pieces into a tumbling means having perforations for lightweight materials in the fabric pieces to be removed therethrough and coupled to a first source of negative pressure; (b) tumbling the fabric pieces in the tumbling means and simultaneously applying negative pressure from the first source of negative pressure to the tumbling means for removing lightweight particles detached from the tumbling fabric pieces from the tumbling means; (c) transporting the fabric pieces from the tumbling means to a top of a vertical separation chamber; and (d) applying forced air to the fabric pieces as the fabric pieces drop from the top to bottom of the vertical separation chamber by gravity for separating the lightweight materials from the fabric pieces, and simultaneously applying negative pressure from a second source of negative pressure to the vertical separation chamber to remove the lightweight materials separated from the fabric pieces from the vertical separation chamber; repeating this step until the fabric pieces are substantially cleared of any lightweight materials. The apparatus comprises a tumbling means and a vertical separation chamber.

Methods and apparatus for separating polysilicon powder from a mixture of granular polysilicon and polysilicon powder are disclosed. The method includes tumbling the polysilicon material in a tumbling device while flowing humidified sweep gas through the tumbling device. Also disclosed are compositions including granulate polysilicon or polycrystalline silicon, in some examples, including a coating layer consisting essentially of water.

The invention relates to an installation for producing glued plant particles, in particular from annual plants (e.g. straw), in order to produce boards, e.g. fibreboards or chipboards, having at least one comminuting apparatus (2) for comminuting plant-based starting material to form scatterable plant particles, and having a gluing apparatus (15) for gluing the plant particles. This installation is characterized in that at least one first screening apparatus (3) for separating silicate particles from the plant particles is arranged between the comminuting apparatus (2) and the gluing apparatus (15).

Disclosed herein is an insect sorting system that includes a conveyor stage having a drive unit, a grasping surface movably coupled with the drive unit and having textured surface elements, and a diverter that is configured to remove insects from the grasping surface.

Insect sorting conveyor systems include at least first and second insect conveyor stages. The first and second insect sorting conveyor stages each include an outwardly facing grasping surface forming at least part of a continuous loop having an upper section and a lower section, and an insect diverter positioned adjacent to the lower section. The second insect sorting conveyor stage is disposed below the first insect sorting conveyor stage.

A particle separator is provided for separating small particles from large particles from material. The particle separator includes a conical shaped separator housing that forms a cyclonic separator enclosure, a cover attached at a top portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure, and an opening at a bottom portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. The cyclonic separator enclosure has an inlet tube with a tangential entry opening along an inner wall of the cyclonic separator enclosure, where the inlet tube projects horizontally outward from an upper portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. An outlet tube extends upward from a center of the cover with a vacuum unit connected to the outlet tube that creates a vortex in the cyclonic separator enclosure.

A particle separator is provided for separating small particles from large particles from material. The particle separator includes a conical shaped separator housing that forms a cyclonic separator enclosure, a cover attached at a top portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure, and an opening at a bottom portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. The cyclonic separator enclosure has an inlet tube with a tangential entry opening along an inner wall of the cyclonic separator enclosure, where the inlet tube projects horizontally outward from an upper portion of the cyclonic separator enclosure. An outlet tube extends upward from a center of the cover with a vacuum unit connected to the outlet tube that creates a vortex in the cyclonic separator enclosure.

Disclosed herein is an insect sorting system that includes a conveyor stage having a drive unit, a grasping surface movably coupled with the drive unit and having textured surface elements, and a diverter that is configured to remove insects from the grasping surface.

The invention relates to a wind classifier for classifying material (M), the wind classifier comprising a feed conveyor (2) for carrying the material (M) to be classified; a classifier drum (3) for receiving the material (M) supplied by the feed conveyor (2) and for classifying it on a surface of the classifier drum (3) onto its front side and rear side; blower nozzles (4) positioned between the feed conveyor (2) and classification drum (3) to blow air from substantially below the feed conveyor (2) obliquely upwards over the classification drum (3); and means (7, 8, 9) for adjusting the height and distance of the front end (2b) of the feed conveyor (2) in relation to the classifier dmm (3); whereby the means for adjusting the height and distance of the front end (2b) of the feed conveyor (2) in relation to the classifier dmm (3) comprise a horizontal sliding support (7) of the rear end (2a) of the feed conveyor; a sliding support (8) of the front end (2b) of the feed conveyor (2) substantially obliquely upwards in relation to the classifier dmm (3); and an actuator (9) connected to the feed conveyor (2) for simultaneous moving of the feed conveyor (2) in the direction of said supports (7,8).