CONCENTRATION OF FIBROUS MATERIAL

Process for the concentration of fibrous material in a mixture thereof with non-fibrous material, by subjecting an aqueous suspension of the mixture to centrifugal force in a hydrocylone to obtain an overflow enriched in fibre and an underflow of reduced fibre content, the aqueous suspension which is admitted to the hydrocylone being the fibre-enriched fraction which results from a preliminary classification in which an aqueous suspension of lowerfibre: non-fibre ratio is submitted to flow under conditions which bring about settling out under ordinary gravitational force of material reduced in fibre content and formation of a fibre-enriched fraction above it.In the process, the underflow flow from the hydrocyclone is incorporated in the aqueous suspension which is submitted to the preliminary classification.The process, which keeps to a minimum the amount of valuable fibre lost, is specially applicable to the concentration of fibres in the fibrous products (mineral wool) formed by disintegrating silicate and like mineral melts, which commonly contain relatively high proportion of granular material ('shot').