Patent ID: 8377165

Claim:
A method for extracting rare earth and heavy metal elements from hydrothermal products comprising: receiving geothermal fluid into a vessel of a heat exchanger operably coupled to an extraction unit by a conduit, the extraction unit comprising a magnet at least partially disposed within a rotatable drum having a substantially vertical axis of rotation and free space extending continuously in all radial directions from the magnet to an inside surface of the drum; collecting a condensate from the fluid; transferring the condensate to the extraction unit via the conduit; pushing rare earth and heavy metal elements to an outer rim of the drum while keeping one or more other components of the condensate on the magnet by rotating the drum to apply a centrifugal force and simultaneously using the magnet to apply a magnetic force to the condensate, thereby segregating the rare earth and heavy metal elements from the one or more other components of the condensate; and retrieving the rare earth and heavy metal elements from the extraction unit.