Recovery media for mineral processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10835905-B2
Application number	US-201715401755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2017
Priority date	May 25, 2011
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An engineered collection medium for use in mineral separation is described. The engineered collection medium has a solid phase body configured with a three-dimensional open-cell structure like foam or sponge to provide collection surfaces. The surfaces are functionalized with a hydrophobic chemical having molecules with a functional group for attaching mineral particles to the collection surfaces. The engineered collection medium can be a foam block, a filter or conveyor belt to be placed in a slurry to collect mineral particles in the slurry. The engineered collection medium carrying the mineral particles is provided to a release apparatus where the mineral particles can be released by using mechanical agitation, sonic agitation and so forth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engineered collection medium, comprising
a solid-phase body configured with a three-dimensional open-cell structure to provide a plurality of collection surfaces; and
a plurality of molecules provided on the collection surfaces, the molecules comprising a functional group having a chemical bond for attracting one or more mineral particles in an aqueous mixture to the molecules, causing the mineral particles to attach to the collection surfaces, wherein the solid phase body comprises a coating or layer configured with a hydrophobic chemical selected from a polysiloxane derivative, and wherein the coating or layer is modified with tackifiers, plasticizers, crosslinking agents, chain transfer agents, chain extenders, adhesion promoters, aryl or alky copolymers, fluorinated copolymers, hexamethyldisilazane, silica or hydrophobic silica, wherein the polysiloxane derivative is poly(dimethylsiloxane).

2. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid phase body is made from polyurethane.

3. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid phase body has a coating or layer that is made of a material selected from acrylics, butyl rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate, natural rubber, nitriles; styrene block copolymers with ethylene, propylene, and isoprene; polyurethanes, and polyvinyl ethers.

4. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , further comprising an adhesion agent configured to promote adhesion between the solid phase body and the coating or layer.

5. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid phase body is made of plastic, ceramic, carbon fiber or metal.

6. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional open-cell structure comprises pores ranging from 10-200 pores per inch.

7. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-phase body comprises a reticulated foam block providing the three-dimensional open-cell structure.

8. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-phase body comprises a filter providing the three-dimensional open-cell structure, the structure having open cells to allow fluid in the aqueous mixture to flow through the filter.

9. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-phase body comprises a conveyor belt having a surface configured with the three-dimensional open-cell structure.

10. The engineered collection media according to claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional open-cell structure comprises an open cell foam.

11. The engineered collection media according to claim 10 , wherein the open cell foam is made from a material or materials selected from a group that includes polyester urethanes, polyether urethanes, reinforced urethanes, composites like PVC coated PU, non-urethanes, as well as metal, ceramic, and carbon fiber foams and hard, porous plastics, in order to enhance mechanical durability.

12. The engineered collection media according to claim 10 , wherein the open cell foam is coated with polyvinylchloride, and then coated with a compliant, tacky polymer of low surface energy in order to enhance chemical durability.

13. The engineered collection media according to claim 10 , wherein the open cell foam is primed with a high energy primer prior to application of a functionalized polymer coating to increase the adhesion of the functionalized polymer coating to the surface of the open cell foam.

14. The engineered collection media according to claim 13 , wherein the surface of the open cell foam is chemically or mechanically abraded to provide “grip points” on the surface for retention of the functionalized polymer coating.

15. The engineered collection media according to claim 10 , wherein the surface of the open cell foam is coated with a functionalized polymer coating that covalently bonds to the surface to enhance the adhesion between the functionalized polymer coating and the surface.

16. The engineered collection media according to claim 10 , wherein the surface of the open cell foam is coated with a functionalized polymer coating in the form of a compliant, tacky polymer of low surface energy and a thickness selected for capturing certain mineral particles and collecting certain particle sizes, including where thin coatings are selected for collecting proportionally smaller particle size fractions and thick coatings are selected for collecting additional large particle size fractions.

17. The engineered collection media according to claim 1 , wherein the specific surface area is configured with a specific number of pores per inch that is determined to target a specific size range of mineral particles in the slurry.

18. The engineered collection media according to claim 1 , wherein the engineered collection media comprise different open cell foams having different specific surface areas that are blended to recover a specific size distribution of mineral particles in the slurry.

19. The engineering collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional open-cell structure comprises a compliant, tacky surface of low energy to provide the molecules.

20. The engineering collection medium according to claim 19 , wherein the compliant, tacky surface of low energy is made from a material selected from polyurethane, reticulated polyurethane, polyester urethane, polyether urethane, reinforced urethanes, PVC coated PV, silicone, polychloroprene, polyisocyanurate, polystyrene, polyolefin, polyvinylchloride, epoxy, latex, fluoropolymer, polypropylene, phenolic, EPDM, and nitrile.

21. The engineering collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional open-cell structure is reacted to form a compliant, tacky surface of low energy.

22. The engineering collection medium according claim 19 , wherein the three dimensional open-cell structure is made from a material selected from polyamides (nylon), polyesters, polyurethanes, phenol-formaldehyde, urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, polyacetal, polyethylene, polyisobutylene, polyacrylonitrile, poly(vinyl chloride), polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylates), poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinylidene chloride), polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polyacrylates, poly(carbonate), phenolic resin, silicon alkyd copolymer, fluoroalkylsilane, polysiloxanates and polydimethylsiloxane.

23. The engineering collection medium according to claim 3 , wherein the layer comprises the three dimensional open-cell structure.

24. The engineering collection medium according to claim 22 , wherein the three dimensional open-cell structure is modified with tackifiers, plasticizers, crosslinking agents, chain transfer agents, chain extenders, adhesion promoters, aryl or alky copolymers, fluorinated copolymers, hexamethyldisilazane, silica or hydrophobic silica.

25. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the polysiloxane derivative is selected from a group consisting of polysiloxanates, poly(dimethylsiloxane), fluoroalkylsilane.

26. The engineered collection medium according to claim 1 , wherein the solid phase body is made from a material selected from polyester urethane, polyether urethane, reinforced urethanes, PVC coated PV, silicone, polychloroprene, polyisocyanurate, polystyrene, polyolefin, polyvinylchloride, epoxy, latex, fluoropolymer, polypropylene, phenolic, EPDM, and nitrile.

Assignees

• Cidra Corporate Services Inc

Inventors

• Rothman Paul J
• Fernald Mark R
• Didden Francis
• O'Keefe Christian V
• Adamson Douglas H
• Dolan Paul
• Bailey Timothy J
• Ryan Michael

Classifications

• B03D1/004

  Organic compounds · CPC title

• B03D2203/02

  Ores · CPC title

• B03D1/12

  Agent recovery · CPC title

• B03D1/016

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• B03D1/023 Primary

  Carrier flotation; Flotation of a carrier material to which the target material attaches · CPC title