ichidan verb, transitive verb
Used for separating or sorting materials by blowing air, such as winnowing grain or smelting ore. The 'smelt' sense is a technical extension where air is blown through molten metal.
農家では、籾殻を吹き分けるのに唐箕を使う。
Farmers use a winnowing machine to blow away the chaff.
製鉄所では、溶けた鉄に空気を吹き分けて不純物を取り除く。
At the steel mill, they blow air through the molten iron to remove impurities.