B
SECTION B — PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  
SEPARATING; MIXING
 B01 - 
B09

Note(s)

The following notes are meant to assist in the use of this part of the classification scheme; they must not be read as modifying in any way the elaborations.

  1. In this sub-section, the separation of different materials, e.g. of different matter, size, or state, is predominantly found in the following subclasses:

    B01D
    B03B, B03C, B03D
    B04B, B04C,
    B07B, B07C.

  2. The classifying characteristics of these subclasses are:
    1. the physical state of the matter to be separated;
    2. the principle of the process used;
    3. particular kinds of apparatus.

      The first of these characteristics involves six different aspects, assembled in three groups:

      1. liquid/liquid or liquid/gas and gas/gas;
      2. solid/liquid or solid/gas;
      3. solid/solid.

  3. These subclasses are to be used according to the following general rules:
    It should also be noted that the separation of isotopes of the same chemical element is covered by B01D 59/00, whatever process or apparatus is employed.
  4. The following scheme illustrates the classification according to these rules.

 B03
SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (separating isotopes B01D 59/00; crushing or disintegrating B02C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04)  [5]
 B03B
SEPARATING SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS (removing fluids from solids B01D; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; flotation, differential sedimentation B03D; separating by dry methods B07; screening or sifting B07B; by picking B07C; separating peculiar to particular materials and provided for in other single classes, see the relevant classes)

 B03C
MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (conditioning gases for such separation, separating isotopes B01D; filters making use of electricity or magnetism B01D 35/06; conditioning solids for such separation B03B; combinations of magnetic or electrostatic separation with separation of solids by other means B03B, B07B; separating sheets from piles B65H 3/00; magnets or magnet coils per se H01F)  [5]

 B03D
FLOTATION; DIFFERENTIAL SEDIMENTATION (sedimentation in general B01D 21/00; in combination with other separation of solids B03B; sink-float separation B03B 5/28; detergents, soaps C11D)