Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and a method of effecting the separation of paramagnetic particles from non-paramagnetic particles in the fine and finest particle size ranges of approximately below 1 mm suspended in a fluid medium by the passage of the fluid medium through an apparatus having a separation channel suitable for containing a flow of the fluid medium flowing therethrough and which includes at least two exits suitable for separating the paramagnetic particle enriched fluid medium from the paramagnetic particles depleted fluid medium into two product streams, the separation channel defining the direction of the fluid medium flow being at least partially paralleledly oriented with respect to a magnetic induction member such that the magnetic flux exerted upon the paramagnetic particles within the fluid medium flow are repulsed from the induction member and entrained within the fluid medium to countereffect the effect of inertial forces or gravitational forces on the fluid flow, and separated from the non-paramagnetic particles within the fluid medium flow which succumb to the effect of the inertial forces of gravitational forces and are separated from the paramagnetic particles within the fluid medium flow. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the induction members are oriented below their associated separation channels at right angles with respect to the lines of magnetic flux, and the separation channels are inclined with respect to the horizontal, so that gravitational forces acting upon the paramagnetic particles contained within the fluid medium are countereffected by the repulsive forces exerted on the same paramagnetic particles by the induction members.

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First Claim