Patent ID: 8469196

Claim:
An apparatus for separating components of a mixture of particles, the apparatus comprising: a vessel having an interior for containing the mixture of particles during processing, an energy system coupled to and disposed within the vessel for directly exposing the mixture of particles within the interior of the vessel to microwave/millimeter wave energy, a reactant system for exposing the mixture of particles to a reactant, a separator for separating particles, wherein the separator includes a first portion arranged within the interior of the vessel, and a second portion arranged exterior of the vessel, wherein the first portion includes a magnetic separator for diverting magnetic particles away from non-magnetic particles, wherein the second portion includes a first exterior separator portion, and a second exterior separator portion, wherein the first exterior separator portion includes a leach cycle, wherein the second exterior separator portion includes a flotation separator, wherein the flotation separator separates the magnetic particles into a first group of particles and a second group of particles, wherein the first group of particles are passed to a first leach cycle of the second exterior portion, wherein the second group of particles are passed to a second leach cycle of the second exterior portion.