METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GRAVITY SEPARATION OF SOLID PARTICLES (VERSIONS) Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: mining industry, in particular, gravity separation equipment. SUBSTANCE: method involves treating mineral ore aqueous pulp with disperser; supplying dispersed aqueous pulp to inlet channel in intermediate section of tubular column; forming high-density layer of particles in lower part of column and low-density layer of particles in upper part of column; removing wastes from upper end of column; removing concentrated mineral ore having reduced content of barren rock from lower end of column. Apparatus has tubular column containing bed material and device for stirring bed material in column and particles. Apparatus is further provided with pulp forming unit. Bed material has channels running in circular paths through related zones. Intermediate section of column has inlet channel zone communicated with aqueous pulp supplying device and adapted for passage of pulp through mentioned channels. EFFECT: increased efficiency in separating small-sized particles and reduced production costs. 20 cl, 2 dwg, 9 tbl