SEPARATION AND RECOVERY METHOD

The disclosed method includes a separation step wherein composite particles are transferred to a vicinity of an inlet of a fibrous carbon nanostructure path configured to recover fibrous carbon nanostructures by allowing the fibrous carbon nanostructures to pass therethrough, and a fluid flowing toward the inlet of the path and an external force including a component of a direction opposite to the direction in which the fluid flows are applied to the composite particles to separate the fibrous carbon nanostructures and a particulate ceramic support substrate; and a recovery step wherein the separated fibrous carbon nanostructures are transferred to an interior of the path for recovery by a flow of the fluid, with the separated substrate transferred away from the fibrous carbon nanostructure path for recovery, wherein, in the separation step, the external force applied to the substrate is greater than that applied to the fibrous carbon nanostructures.