Advances in Gravity Concentration

Gravity has been an essential force in mineral and coal processing for centuries. While some newer separation technologies developed during the industrial age are widely used, gravity-based separators remain the prominent means of producing concentrates from coal, iron ore, rare earths, industrial minerals, tin, and tungsten ores. Recent advances in gravity-based separation technologies have reduced previous particle size limitations and improved their effectiveness in treating mixed-phase particles as compared to competing technologies. It is now possible to achieve efficient, high-capacity gravity separations for ultrafine particles using gravity-based units that provide centrifugal forces many times that of natural gravity. Sophisticated research equipment provides opportunities for in-situ studies of processes, resulting in new fundamental theories and control schemes.