Sensor separation apparatus and method

1. A separation apparatus, comprising:

an identifier arranged to identify the particles in a group of particles that have a specific property;

an affinity modifier arranged to modify an affinity of the identified particles relative to that affinity of non-identified particles in an group;

a separator arranged to separate the particles in the group based on their difference in the affinity; wherein:

the affinity modifier modifies the affinity of the identified particles by applying affinity modifying particles to the identified particles; and

the affinity modifying particles comprise liquid droplets to moisturize the identified particles to form a moisture bridge between the identified particles and the separator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a layerizer arranged to bring the group of particles in layer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the layerizer provides the particles in the layer with a known, preferably constant, spatial relation in the layer between the identifier and the affinity modifier.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the layerizer comprises a conveyor belt surface on which the particles are deposited in a planar layer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the identifier is an optical sensor.

6. The apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the affinity modifying particles form a coating surface layer onto the identified particles.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the affinity modifying particles further comprise powder particles.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the powder particles comprise magnetic powder particles that are spherically shaped.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the affinity modifier comprises a printer head.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the specific property is a type of material, color, shape and/or size.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the separator has a contact surface onto which identified particles are affixed thereon.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the contact surface is coated with hydrophilic fibrous material.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the contact surface comprises a magnet or at least is coated with a magnetizable layer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a mechanical pick up device having a contact surface that contacts the group of particles for picking up the identified particles.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a drum.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the group of particles comprises small particles with a diameter size of 1-20 mm.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the affinity modifying particles comprise water droplets.

18. A method for separation of particles from a group of particles, comprising the steps of:

supplying an group of particles in an arrangement, wherein the group of particles comprises particles with different properties, the different properties comprising one or more of: material, color, shape and size;

identify particles in the group of particles that have a specific property;

modify an affinity of the identified particles relative to that affinity of non-identified particles in the group with an affinity modifier;

separate the particles in the group based on their difference in the affinity with a separator; wherein:

the affinity modifier modifies the affinity of the identified particles by applying affinity modifying particles to the identified particles; and

the affinity modifying particles comprise liquid droplets to moisturize the identified particles to form a moisture bridge between the identified particles and the separator.

19. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the powder particles comprise industrial ferrosilicon.