Experimental Investigation of Novel Enhanced Gravity Closed Spiral Classifier

Classifiers have found wide applications in the mineral processing industry. In this study, a novel enhanced gravity closed spiral classifier is presented. This device uses induced centrifugal force to classify particles. A functional prototype of the separator was 3D printed to experimentally validate the concept. The performance characteristics of the classifier were established by conducting experiments under different process and design conditions. Silica slurries with particle loading of 5-15 wt% were used in this work as a model system. The particle size distribution analysis was performed using laser scattering particle size distribution analyser (LSPSDA). The effects of particle loading, velocity of feed stream, and number of turns of spiral were explored. The equipment could be used in many applications ranging from size (mass) classification to disposing of unwanted gangue.