Method and apparatus for separating conducting and non-conducting particles

Claim 1

AN ELECTRO-DYNAMIC SEPARATOR FOR SEPARATING FROM A MIXTURE OF PARTICLES, CONDUCTING PARTICLES FROM NON-CONDUCTING PARTICLES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: CHARGING MEANS FOR CHARGING ALL OF THE PARTICLES OF SAID MIXTURE WITH ELECTRIC CHARGES OF LIKE POLARITY; FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODE MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRIC FIELD; MEANS FOR PASSING ALL OF SAID PARTICLES THROUGH SAID ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODE MEANS; AND MEANS FOR ASYMMETRICALLY CHANGING THE POLARITY OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODE MEANS SO THAT SAID FIELD IS OF ONE POLARITY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME LONGER THAN AT THE OPPOSITE POLARITY, WHEREBY SAID CONDUCTING PARTICLES WILL LOSE THEIR CHARGE AND ATTAIN AN OPPOSITE CHARGE AND SAID NON-CONDUCTING PARTICLES WILL RETAIN THEIR ORIGINAL CHARGE SO THAT SAID CONDUCTING PARTICLES ARE ATTRACTED TOWARDS SAID FIRST ELECTRODE MEANS AND SAID NON-CONDUCTING PARTICLES ARE ATTRACTED TOWARD SAID SECOND ELECTRODE MEANS.