PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16335334
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2019-03
Publication Date: 2019-09
Patent Classification: ["210", "703000"]

Abstract:
A method and apparatus for the recovery of hydrophobic particles from a slurry comprised of water, the hydrophobic particles, and a hydrophilic component. Slurry is exposed to a gas stream to permit bubbles to adhere to the hydrophobic particles. The slurry generally flows vertically through a vessel at a velocity that maintains gas hold-up at least between 30 and 70% to maintain a bubbly flow without a slurry froth interface so that a portion of the water of the slurry, together with entrained gas bubbles attached to hydrophobic particles, flows out of the vessel with a portion of the water of the slurry and the hydrophilic component remaining in the vessel. Water from the slurry and gas bubbles attached to hydrophobic particles flowing through the vessel is discharged and collected for processing. A portion of the hydrophilic component is extracted as tailings for disposal or subsequent processing.

Claim (Index 10):
An apparatus for use in the recovery of hydrophobic particles from a slurry that is comprised of water, hydrophobic particles, and a hydrophilic component, the apparatus comprising:\n (i) a bubble engagement tank into which the slurry is fed, said bubble engagement tank including an air injector to inject air into slurry received within the bubble engagement tank to permit gas bubbles to adhere to hydrophobic particles within the slurry, (ii) a direct flotation vessel in fluid communication with the bubble engagement tank, said direct flotation vessel having a first or intake end in fluid communication with said bubble engagement tank, at least one reduced diameter section, and a discharge end; and, (iii) a control valve in fluid communication with said discharge end such that operation of said control valve controls the amount of flow through said direct flotation vessel when slurry from the bubble disengagement tank flows there through, at least one of the at least one reduced diameter sections of the direct flotation vessel, together with the control valve, maintaining the velocity of that portion of the slurry passing through the direct flotation vessel to maintain a bubbly flow without the formation of a slurry froth interface or a froth component, such that a portion of the water of the slurry, together with entrained gas bubbles attached to hydrophobic particles, is discharged through said control valve with a portion of the water of the slurry and the hydrophilic component remaining in the bubble engagement tank.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 17.0
- Percentile: 99.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.24286
- Patent Class: 210.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['12373018', '13974846', '12552550', '14804505', '12665211']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8169629973606413
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.524446129728977
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7877113105974749
- Mean Citation Score: 327.7805160000001
- Max Citation Score: 357.3781
- Similarity Product: 305.31344408575296

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test