The Operation of Cyclone Separators

CIM Bulletin, 1955

THE OBSERVATIONS thf,t follow are confined to simple wet cyclones such as the cylindro-conical unit developed by the Dutch States Mines and marketed in America under the trademark 'DorrClone'. Energy to do the work cornes from the inlet velocity of the feed slurry, whi ch is usually pumped' to the unit by a centrifugai pump. Such cyclones are simply classi fiers of enormous capacity and depend for their separating effect on differences in rates of particle sett lement. These particle settling rates, of course, vary with particl,e size, particle density, particle shape, pulp viscosity, and pulp density. The dilution of the overflow product affects both pulp viscosity and pulp density. In most operations, the temperature and the composition of the liquid - hence its viscositv -- are fixed, but both pu~p viscosity and pulp density can be changed by changing pulp dilution.

Keywords: Capacity, Classifiers, cyclones, Fines, Flocculation, flocculation, Mesh Microns, pyrrhotite, underflow, viscosity, Mechanical classifiers, particles, Separation, viscosity