Patent ID: 8486274

Claim:
A method of separating solid particles from a suspension comprising a liquid, comprising: applying one or more stimuli to said suspension, said one or more stimuli adapted to control inter-particle forces between said solid particles to form a conditioned state comprising a solids-rich phase and a liquids rich phase, wherein each stimulus is selectively operable to effect reversibly operable conditioning between an initial state prevailing prior to said applying one or more stimuli and said conditioned state resultant from said applying one or more stimuli, thereby to control interaction between said solid particles, wherein said one or more stimuli comprise a chemical additive, wherein said chemical additive is a photosensitive molecule, incorporated within one or more polymers, at least one which is a water-soluble polymer, said photosensitive molecule being associated with a predetermined change in light wavelength; consolidating said solids-rich phase by facilitating said reversibly operable conditioning to liberate at least some liquid otherwise trapped among said solid particles, wherein said reversibly operable conditioning is effected by applying light to the chemical additive; and separating said solids-rich phase from said liquids-rich phase.