摘要 |
There is provided a pinched sluice apparatus for classification of a feed particle mixture into two or more factions, including a pinched sluice (12) with a sloping floor (14) and a pair of convergent side walls (16) forming a sluice channel which changes in cross-section from being shallow and wide at the inlet end (18) to being deeper and narrow at the discharge end (20). Elutriation fluid is introduced through the floor (14) and is passed through the bed (24), while the sluice is reciprocated (38) to induce alternating up and down acceleration of the sluice channel relative to the settling force (22, 68), such that classification is achieved by alternating differential acceleration and hindered settling of particles in the bed. A centrifugal version of the device is also disclosed.
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