Hydrocyclone and Spiral Separation for Copper-Basalt Ore

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional copper extraction processes generate harmful byproducts and waste, and there is a need for a more efficient and environmentally friendly method to produce both copper and a supplementary cementitious material.

Innovation Solution

A system and process that involves crushing, screening, and separation stages using hydrocyclones and spiral machines to separate copper from basalt, followed by processing the concentrate and tailings to produce copper and a supplementary cementitious material, respectively, while minimizing waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If conventional copper extraction processes are used, then copper can be obtained from ores, but harmful byproducts and waste are generated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecopper productionVSAvoidharmful byproducts and waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful waste tailings from conventional copper extraction into a beneficial supplementary cementitious material. The tailings, which would normally be discarded as harmful waste, are instead processed through drying and grinding to produce a valuable construction material that can replace Portland cement, thereby converting an environmental hazard into an economic and ecological benefit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent recovers valuable materials from the waste stream. Instead of discarding the tailings as waste, the process recovers them as a raw material for producing supplementary cementitious material. This recovery approach eliminates the need to discard potentially useful materials and transforms waste into a resource.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Quantity of substance

If conventional copper extraction processes are used, then copper can be extracted, but environmental sustainability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecopper extractionVSAvoidenvironmental sustainability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The process converts environmentally harmful waste tailings into a beneficial product that enhances sustainability. By transforming waste into supplementary cementitious material that reduces cement usage and associated carbon emissions, the process converts an environmental liability into an asset that actively improves sustainability metrics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the waste material through drying (moisture removal) and grinding (particle size reduction). These parameter changes transform the waste tailings into a material with suitable properties for use as supplementary cementitious material, thereby changing the material's fate from waste to resource.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of substance

If a separation system is implemented to produce supplementary cementitious material, then waste is minimized, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste minimizationVSAvoidseparation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the copper extraction process into distinct stages: copper mineral separation and tailings processing. The tailings processing is further segmented into drying and grinding stages. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system design by breaking down the complex waste-to-resource transformation into manageable, sequential operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The process produces copper and a supplementary cementitious material without generating harmful waste, reducing cement usage in concrete production by up to 15% and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Implementation Method 1

a hydrocyclone configured to receive the feed and process the feed to divide the feed into a first feed portion and a second feed portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCyclone separation: Cyclone Separation

Implementation Method 2

a plurality of spiral circuits configured to receive the second feed portion from the hydrocyclone and process the second feed portion to divide the second feed portion into a concentrate and tailings

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpiral separation: Centrifugal Separation

Data Source

PatentUS20260048397A1Mineral separation system

Publication Date: 2026.02.19 MASON-GREY CORP

AI summary

A system configured to separate minerals is disclosed. The system may include one or more crushers configured to crush ore. The system may further include a hydrocyclone configured to receive and process a feed to divide the feed into a first feed portion and a second feed portion. The feed may be a mixture of crushed ore and water. The system may further include a plurality of spiral circuits configured to process the second feed portion to divide the second feed portion into concentrate and tailings. The concentrate may include copper and the tailings may include basalt. The system may further include one or more processing components configured to process the tailings to form a supplementary cementitious material.