Aaron E Noble

US Patent:

20190358677, Nov 28, 2019

Filed:

May 22, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/419400

Inventors:

- Coal Center PA, US
Charles D. Roos - New York NY, US
Ricky Q. Honaker - Lexington KY, US
Aaron Noble - Blacksburg VA, US

Assignee:

Mineral Separation Technologies, Inc. - Coal Center PA

International Classification:

B07C 5/34
B07C 5/342
B07C 5/36

Abstract:

Differences in x-ray absorption coefficients and ash content are used to process coal waste and concentrate rare earth elements (REE) found in coal seams. A method for processing the coal waste includes receiving, by a detector, at least one collimated x-ray beam from an x-ray source that has been passed through a sample of coal waste; determining measurements of at least one x-ray absorption characteristic of the sample based on the received at least one collimated x-ray beam; and identifying a first region in the sample having a concentration of rare earth elements based on the measured x-ray absorption characteristic.