US 11,752,506 B2
Reactor system for separation and enrichment of minerals from a slurry containing minerals and other materials
Mark R. Fernald, Enfield, CT (US); Paul J. Rothman, Windsor, CT (US); Paul Dolan, Portland, CT (US); Kirk Johnson, Killingworth, CT (US); Patrick Tuxbury, Wallingford, CT (US); Sandeep Balasubramanyam, Hamden, CT (US); Peter A. Amelunxen, Colebay (SX); Timothy J. Bailey, Longmeadow, MA (US); Adam Jordens, West Hartford, CT (US); and Joseph Nord, Plantsville, CT (US)
Assigned to CIDRA CORPORATE SERVICES, INC., Wallingford, CT (US)
Filed by CiDRA Corporate Services LLC, Wallingford, CT (US)
Filed on Oct. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/495,105.
Application 17/495,105 is a division of application No. 16/346,706, granted, now 11,247,212, previously published as PCT/US2017/059491, filed on Nov. 1, 2017.
Application 16/346,706 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2017/012689, filed on Jan. 9, 2017.
Application PCT/US2017/012689 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2016/068843, filed on Dec. 28, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/563,853, filed on Sep. 27, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/415,629, filed on Nov. 1, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0023876 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. B03B 7/00 (2006.01); B03B 5/56 (2006.01); B03D 1/02 (2006.01); C22B 1/00 (2006.01); B01D 17/02 (2006.01)
CPC B03B 7/00 (2013.01) [B01D 17/02 (2013.01); B03B 5/56 (2013.01); B03D 1/023 (2013.01); C22B 1/00 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A reactor system for recovering mineral particles from a slurry that contains a mixture of the mineral particle and unwanted materials using engineered collection media, comprising:
a tumbler reactor having a rotating cylinder with ribs, the rotating chamber receiving and stirring a first mixture having engineered collection media and a slurry containing mineral particles and unwanted materials, and causing the mineral particles in the slurry to come in contact with, and attach to, the engineered collection media and form mineral laden media, the tumbler reactor having an output port arranged to provide a second mixture having a reacted slurry having the unwanted materials and the mineral laden media; and
a rinsing station having a screen separator arranged to rotate together with the tumbler reactor and receive the second mixture, the rinsing station also having one or more spraying nozzles arranged to spray a cleaning liquid onto the second mixture so as to separate the reacted slurry from the mineral laden media, the screen separator having screen openings dimensioned to allow the reacted slurry to pass through for further processing and to retain the mineral laden media, and being configured to transport through a tumbling action the mineral laden media from the rinsing station for further processing.