Patent ID: 7540384

Claim:
An apparatus for segregating particulate material by density and/or size to concentrate a contaminant for separation from the particulate material feed stream, comprising: (a) a fluidizing bed having a receiving inlet for receiving the particulate material feed, an inlet opening for receiving a fluidizing stream, a discharge outlet for discharging a fluidized particulate material product stream, and a discharge outlet for discharging a non-fluidized particulate material stream; (b) a source of fluidizing stream operatively connected to the inlet opening for introducing the fluidizing stream into the fluidizing bed to achieve separation of the fluidized particulate material product stream from the non-fluidized particulate material stream; (c) a conveyor means for transporting the non-fluidized particulate material inside the fluidized bed through the discharge outlet to a reception means; (d) wherein the fluidized particulate material product stream contains a reduction in the contaminant relative to the particulate material feed of about 23-54%, and the non-fluidized particulate material stream contains about 9-45% of the contaminant contained in the particulate material feed.