Patent ID: 8931852
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: B03B,C10L,C22B,E21C,E21F,F23K

Abstract:
1. A method of beneficiating a mineral fuel and delivering the mineral fuel to a consumer by pipeline, comprising the steps of: separating an initial rock mass at a mine into a plurality of size classes of rock; further grinding at least one of the size classes of rock into a ground product; submersing the ground product, together with a powdered part freed from the initial rock mass, in a fluid having a density between a density of the mineral fuel and a density of a waste rock; stratifying the mineral fuel from the waste rock in the fluid; subsequently drawing the mineral fuel to the earth's surface by floating the mineral fuel in the fluid whose density exceeds that of the mineral fuel; delivering the mineral fuel to the consumer by a pipeline containing the mineral fuel and the fluid; removing the fluid from the mineral fuel and returning the fluid to the mine; regenerating the fluid by removing waste products contained in the fluid; and also imparting additional floatability to the mineral fuel by coating the mineral fuel with both aqueous media having mineral salts dissolved therein, and non-aqueous volatile liquids and liquefied gases having a density between the density of the mineral fuel and the density of the waste rock.