Process for the separation of solids by agglomeration

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE AGGLOMERATION AND SEPARATION OF MIXTURE OF AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT PHYSICALLY SEPARATE PARTICULATE SOLIDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MINERALS AND METALS FROM AN AQUEOUS SUSPENDANT LIQUID, ONE OF SAID SOLIDS BEING HYDROPHOBIC AND THE SECOND ONE OF SAID SOLIDS BEING HYDROPHILLIC TO THE SAID SUSPENDANT LIQUID, WHICH COMPRISES, (A) ADDING TO SAID MIXTURE IN SAID SUSPENDANT LIQUID A BRIDGING LIQUID, WHICH PREFERENTIALLY WETS ONLY SAID HYDROPHOBIC SOLID, AND WHICH IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NITROBENZENE, AN ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON, KEROSENE, PETROLEUM LUBRICATING OIL, LIQUID CHLORINATED BIPHENYL, FUEL OIL, TALL OIL, ACID PETROLEUM OIL, AND OCTYL AMINE, IN AMOUNTS OF 1% TO 30% BY VOLUME BASED ON SAID HYDROPHOBIC SOLID TO FORM A FILM OVER SAID WETTED HYDROPHOBIC SOLID, (B) SUBJECTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE TO MECHANICAL AGITATION AND TURBULENT CONDITIONS TO FLOCCULATE THE SAID WETTED HYDROPHOBIC SOLID AND CONTINUING SAID MECHANICAL AGITATION AND TURBULENT CONDITIONS FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR TO COMPACT THE RESULTING FLOCCULATES INTO SPHERICAL AGGLOMERATES OF GREATER DENSITY THAN THAT OF SAID SUSPENDANT LIQUID, AND (C) SEPARATING BY SCREENING SAID AGGLOMERATES FROM THE REMAINING SUSPENSION.