Separation process for flint, amber, and green glass particles from a mixture of the three colors

Claim 2

A process for separating a mixture of particulate glasses of different colors comprising the steps of: passing a mixture of glass particles having different magnetic susceptibilities and including paramagnetic green and diamagnetic flint glasses througH a magnetic field having a relatively greater magnetic field strength nearer one side edge of the path of the glass particles and a relatively lower magnetic field strength nearer the other side edge of the path of the glass particles; superimposing an acceleration force on the magnetic field, the acceleration force having a component transverse to the path of the glass particles from one side edge towards the other; and collecting a first fraction of glass particles having particles of glass including paramagnetic green glass from the side edge of the path subject to the greater magnetic field strength and a second fraction of glass particles including diamagnetic flint glass from the other side edge of the path which is subject to the lower magnetic field strength.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of superimposing comprises arranging the magnetic field and the acceleration force so that the magnetic field at least partially counteracts the acceleration force on glass particles having a non-neutral magnetic susceptibility.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of passing the mixture through a magnetic field comprises gravitationally moving the particles along a chute extending through the magnetic field and wherein the superimposing step comprises tilting the chute laterally relative to the horizontal.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the collecting step comprises separating a first fraction of predominately diamagnetic flint glass particles and a second fraction comprising a mixture of neutral amber and paramagnetic green glass particles.

Claim 6

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the collecting step comprises separating a first fraction having predominantly paramagnetic green glass particles and a second fraction having a mixture of diamagnetic flint and neutral amber glass particles.

Claim 7

A process for separating a mixture of glass particles comprising a diamagnetic flint glass fraction and a non-diamagnetic glass fraction which comprises the steps of: passing the mixture through a magnetic field having a field strength gradient transverse to the path of the glass particles; providing an acceleration force component transverse to the direction of movement of the glass particles through the magnetic field and in the direction of the maximum magnetic force for separating the non-diamagnetic glass from the diamagnetic flint glass by the transverse acceleration force component and separating the diamagnetic flint glass from the non-diamagnetic glass by magnetic repulsion; and collecting the diamagnetic flint glass fraction and the non-diamagnetic glass fraction.

Claim 8

A process for separating a mixture of glass particles comprising a diamagnetic flint glass fraction and a non-diamagnetic glass fraction which comprises the steps of: passing the mixture through a magnetic field having a field strength gradient transverse to the path of the glass particles; providing an acceleration force component transverse to the direction of movement of the glass particles through the magnetic field and in the direction of the maximum magnetic force for separating the non-diamagnetic glass from the diamagnetic flint glass by the transverse acceleration force component and separating the diamagnetic flint glass from the non-diamagnetic glass by magnetic repulsion; and collecting the diamagnetic flint glass fraction and the non-diamagnetic glass fraction.

Claim 9

A process for separating a mixture of glass particles comprising a paramagnetic green glass fraction and a non-paramagnetic glass fraction which comprises the steps of: passing the mixture through a magnetic field having a field strength gradient transverse to the path of the particles; providing an acceleration force component transverse to the direction of movement of the glass particles through the magnetic field and in the direction opposite to the maximum magnetic force for separating the nonparamagnetic glass from the paramagnetic green glass by the transverse acceleration force component and separating the paramagnetic green glass from the nonparamagnetic glass by magnetic attraction; and collecting the paramagnetic green glass fraction and the non-paramagnetic glass fraction.

Claim 10

A process for separating a mixture of glass particles comprising a paramagnetic green glass fraction and a non-paramagnetic glass fraction which comprises the steps of: passing the mixture through a magnetic field having a field strength gradient transverse to the path of the particles; providing an acceleration force component transverse to the direction of movement of the glass particles through the magnetic field and in the direction opposite to the maximum magnetic force for separating the nonparamagnetic glass from the paramagnetic green glass by the transverse acceleration force component and separating the paramagnetic green glass from the nonparamagnetic glass by magnetic attraction; and collecting the paramagnetic green glass fraction and the non-paramagnetic glass fraction.

Claim 11

A process for separating a mixture of particulate glasses comprising magnetically neutral, paramagnetic green and diamagnetic flint glasses which comprises: feeding a mixture of particulate glasses comprising magnetically neutral, diamagnetic flint and paramagnetic green glass through a magnetic field having a magnetic force field gradient transverse to the path of the mixture of said particulate glasses through the field; forming within the magnetic field a predominately paramagnetic green glass fraction iN the region of relatively stronger magnetic intensity; forming a glass fraction comprising predominately diamagnetic flint glass in the region of relatively weaker magnetic intensity; tilting the path of feed with respect to the horizontal and providing a lateral gravitational force component in the direction of the region of weakest magnetic intensity for combining the magnetically neutral glass with the diamagnetic particulate flint glass; and collecting the paramagnetic green glass fraction and the diamagnetic flint glass-magnetically neutral glass fraction separately.

Claim 12

A process for separating a mixture of particulate glasses comprising magnetically neutral, paramagnetic green and diamagnetic flint glasses which comprises: feeding a mixture of particulate glasses comprising magnetically neutral, diamagnetic flint and paramagnetic green glass through a magnetic field having a magnetic force field gradient transverse to the path of the mixture of said particulate glasses through the field; forming within the magnetic field a predominately paramagnetic green glass fraction iN the region of relatively stronger magnetic intensity; forming a glass fraction comprising predominately diamagnetic flint glass in the region of relatively weaker magnetic intensity; tilting the path of feed with respect to the horizontal and providing a lateral gravitational force component in the direction of the region of weakest magnetic intensity for combining the magnetically neutral glass with the diamagnetic particulate flint glass; and collecting the paramagnetic green glass fraction and the diamagnetic flint glass-magnetically neutral glass fraction separately.

Claim 13

A process as defined in claim 8 in which the mixture of particulate glass is fed through the magnetic field gravitationally.

Claim 14

A process for separating a mixture of particulate glasses comprising magnetically neutral, paramagnetic green and diamagnetic flint glasses which comprises: feeding a mixture of particualte glasses comprising magnetically neutral amber, diamagnetic flint and paramagnetic green glass through a magnetic field having a magnetic force field gradient transverse to the path of the mixture of said particulate glasses through the field; forming within the magnetic field a predominately paramagnetic green glass fraction in the region of relatively stronger magnetic intensity; forming a glass fraction comprising predominately diamagnetic flint glass in the region of relatively weaker magnetic intensity; tilting the path of feed with respect to the horizontal and providing a lateral gravitational force component in the direction of the region of greatest magnetic intensity for combining the magnetically neutral amber glass with the paramagnetic particulate green glass; and collecting the paramagnetic green-neutral amber glass fraction and the diamagnetic flint glass fraction separately.

Claim 15

A process for separating a mixture of particulate glasses comprising magnetically neutral, paramagnetic green and diamagnetic flint glasses which comprises: feeding a mixture of particualte glasses comprising magnetically neutral amber, diamagnetic flint and paramagnetic green glass through a magnetic field having a magnetic force field gradient transverse to the path of the mixture of said particulate glasses through the field; forming within the magnetic field a predominately paramagnetic green glass fraction in the region of relatively stronger magnetic intensity; forming a glass fraction comprising predominately diamagnetic flint glass in the region of relatively weaker magnetic intensity; tilting the path of feed with respect to the horizontal and providing a lateral gravitational force component in the direction of the region of greatest magnetic intensity for combining the magnetically neutral amber glass with the paramagnetic particulate green glass; and collecting the paramagnetic green-neutral amber glass fraction and the diamagnetic flint glass fraction separately.

Claim 16

A process as defined in claim 10 in which the mixture of particulate glass is fed through the magnetic field gravitationally.