Liquid Cyclone

a device for the separation of mineral particles of varying mass while these particles are in water suspension. Liquid cyclones are grouped into classifiers, separators, and thickeners. Classifiers are used for grading of particles by size, thickeners for removing part of the water, and separators for enrichment of the useful mineral ores from their mineral suspension. The device looks like a cone with an overflow port and a short cylindrical section which has a feeder nozzle that delivers the water suspension to the cone. The conical part is provided with a nozzle, through which the lower product of the mixture is removed. The feeder nozzle injects the slurry tangentially, which then rotates as an inner and outer flow. Hard particles being acted on by the centrifugal force are thrown outward toward the periphery. The heavier the particle, the farther out it is thrown. Particles heavier than the grading limits by which they are being classified remain in the outer stream, move to the apex of the cone, and pass out through the nozzle. Particles of smaller mass enter the inner flow and are carried off together with liquid through the liquid overflow port.

Because of simplicity of construction the liquid cyclone finds a wide industrial application. The further development of cyclones includes the use of groups of liquid cyclones, resulting in output of several products and in automatic regulation of the particle sorting process. Liquid cyclones were first used in Holland in 1939 for enrichment of coal aggregate. In the USSR series production of liquid cyclones began in 1956.