Hydrosizing method and apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for separating particulate solid from a solid mixture based on the size of the particles which includes feeding a slurry of the particulate solid mixture into an upper vessel portion adapted to be filled with liquid such as the slurried particulate. The apparatus also includes a lower vessel portion having a cross-sectional area which is less than the cross-sectional area of the upper vessel portion and is sealingly connected for fluid communication with the upper vessel portion by an outwardly diverging wall located at the top of the lower vessel portion. The upper vessel portion has a free-settling region for separating particulate solids. The particulate containing slurry is met with an upwardly directed stream of fluidization fluid, e.g., water, in the lower vessel portion wherein a first fraction-containing solid particulate which has descended through the fluidization stream is directed from the apparatus by a means therefor. A second fraction containing substantially fines is removed from the top of the upper vessel portion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an additional separation operation is performed by use of an additional reduced-size vessel.