Method and apparatus for the magnetic separation of particulate materials

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE MAGNETIC SEPARATION OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZED BY DIFFERENT MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITIES WHICH COMPRISES FEEDING SAID MATERIAL INTO AN ELONGATED COLUMNAR PATHWAY, SUBJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID COLUMNAR PATHWAY THROUGHOUT AT LEAST THE MATERIAL RECOVERY LENGTH TO AN EXTERNALLY PRODUCED MAGNETIC FLUX CHARACTERIZED BY MAGNETIC GRADIENTS ALONG AT LEAST SAID MATERIAL RECOVERY LENGTH AND WHICH MAGNETIC FLUX ACROSS SUBSTANTIALLY SAID ENTIRE CROSS SECTION IS OF AN INTENSITY SELECTIVE OF A MATERIAL OF PARTICULAR MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY WHEREBY TO MAGNETIZE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID MATERIAL OF SAID PARTICULATE MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY, CONFINING AT LEAST SAID MATERIAL RECOVERY LENGTH OF SAID PATHWAY BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF POLES OF OPPOSITE POLRAITY PRODUCING SAID FLUX, SAID MAGNETIC POLES BEING SPACED WITH THEIR POLES ALTERNATING IN POLARITY ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE PATHWAY AND SIMILARLY ALTERNATING ALONG THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PATHWAY, WITH NORTH AND SOUTH POLES OPPOSITE EACH OTHER ACROSS THE PATHWAY, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ALTERNATING POLES ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE PATHWAY BEING AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A SERIES OF FLUX GRADIENTS THEREALONG, MOVING SAID POLES LENGTHWISE OF THE PATHWAY TO PERFORM CONCENTRATION LENGTHWISE ALONG AT LEAST SAID MATERIAL RECOVERY LENGTH, WHEREBY A MAGNETIC CONCENTRATE AND TAILING ARE FORMED LONGITUDINALLY REMOTE FROM EACH OTHER ALONG SAID MATERIAL RECOVERY LENGTH, AND COLLECTING SAID CONCENTRATE AND COLLECTING SAID TAILING.