No external power required, pure gravity mineral processing equipment. Pulp flows naturally along the spiral chute to achieve heavy-light mineral separation. Separates 0.02-0.3mm fine particles of iron, tin, tungsten, gold, titanium and other minerals. Simple structure, zero energy consumption, stable operation, maintenance-free.
The Spiral Chute is a gravity mineral processing equipment that utilizes differences in density, particle size and shape of mineral particles, forming a thin-layer flow in an inclined spiral trough with the help of water flow and gravity to achieve mineral separation. First successfully developed in China in 1977, it combines the technical features of spiral concentrators, shaking tables and centrifugal concentrators. The main body is assembled from fiberglass spiral segments with polyurethane wear-resistant coating on the inner surface, equipped with a splitter, feed trough and product cutters. Pulp flows by gravity without external power, and no wash water is added during separation. Excellent separation effect for minerals with significant density differences such as tantalum, niobium, tin, tungsten, gold, titanium, iron. The DI Series covers six outer diameters from φ400-2000mm, 1-4 starts, with production capacity of 0.5-45 m³/h.
Pulp enters the spiral trough from the top feeder. As it flows along the spiral surface, it continuously changes direction, generating centrifugal force. This centrifugal force creates a transverse liquid level gradient from the outer edge to the inner edge in the cross-section, generating secondary cross-section circulation.
High-density heavy mineral particles settle to the trough bottom under the combined action of gravity, centrifugal force and water shear force, moving slowly along the inner side of the spiral trough. Low-density light minerals suspend in the upper water layer, drifting outward or being carried away by the water flow.
Adjustable cutters are installed at the bottom end of the spiral trough to direct the stratified pulp flow into concentrate, middlings and tailings buckets respectively. No wash water, no moving parts, no external power throughout the process, achieving precise three-stage separation.
| Model | Outer Dia. (mm) | Pitch (mm) | Pitch Ratio | Angle | Starts | Turns | Feed Size (mm) | Feed Conc. | Capacity (m³/h) | Area (m²) | Height (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DI2000 | 2000 | 1200 | 0.6 | 9° | 2-4 | 3-5 | 0.04-4 | 20-40% | 15-45 | 5.7 | 6.8 |
| DI1500 | 1500 | 900 | 0.6 | 9° | 2-4 | 4 | 0.03-0.3 | 20-45% | 10-25 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| DI1200 | 1200 | 720 / 540 | 0.6 | 9° | 2-4 | 4-5 | 0.03-0.3 | 30-50% | 4-6 | 2.0 | 5.23 |
| DI900 | 900 | 540 / 360 | 0.4 / 0.6 | 9° | 2-3 | 4-5 | 0.03-0.3 | 30-50% | 2-3 | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| DI600 | 600 | 390 / 360 | 0.4 | 9° | 1-2 | 4-5 | 0.02-0.2 | 30-50% | 0.8-1.2 | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| DI400 | 400 | 180 | 0.45 | 9° | 1-2 | 4-5 | 0.02-0.2 | 30-50% | 0.5-0.2 | 0.25 | 1.3 |
※ Technical data subject to change without notice.
| Component | Function | Material / Features |
|---|---|---|
| Spiral Trough | Core separation component, assembled from multiple spiral segments bolted together into a continuous spiral surface. Pulp achieves stratification and separation under centrifugal and gravity forces. | FRP Spiral Segment, PU Wear-resistant Coating |
| Splitter | Located at the top, evenly distributes pulp from the feed pipe to each spiral start, ensuring balanced pulp distribution to each trough. | Stainless Steel / PU, Adjustable Flow |
| Feed Trough | Transports pulp to the splitter inlet, maintaining stable pulp concentration and flow velocity. | Wear-resistant Steel Trough, Inclined Gravity Flow |
| Product Cutter | Installed at the bottom end of the spiral trough, cuts the stratified pulp flow into concentrate, middlings and tailings by grade. Cutting position is adjustable. | Stainless Steel with Adjustable Baffle |
| Collection Trough (Product Hopper) | Collects concentrate, middlings and tailings separately, directing to the next process. | Q235 Steel Plate, Partitioned |
| Support Frame | Vertically supports the entire spiral trough structure, maintaining a fixed 9° inclination angle. | Steel Frame / Central Steel Pipe Column, Bolted |
Relies entirely on gravity pulp flow for separation: no moving parts, no motor, no wash water. No chemical reagents added. No secondary pollution from wastewater, exhaust gas or solid waste. One of the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly mineral processing equipment.
Excellent separation performance for 0.02-0.3mm fine and ultra-fine minerals. Secondary cross-section circulation enables precise separation of heavy and light minerals in thin-layer flow, with enrichment ratio and recovery significantly better than traditional chutes.
No moving parts means zero wear part replacement, zero lubrication, no breakdown risk. Only periodic inspection of spiral trough lining wear required. Nearly zero maintenance cost in daily operation.
Multi-layer multi-start configuration (1-4 starts) greatly increases capacity within limited space. DI2000 with 4-start configuration achieves 45 m³/h throughput with only 5.7 m² footprint, extremely high processing efficiency per unit area.
No professional operator required. Once adjusted, runs stably long-term. Strong adaptability to fluctuations in feed rate, concentration, particle size and grade. Stable separation within pulp concentration range of 20%-50%.
FRP material + PU wear-resistant lining: lightweight, moisture-proof, rust-proof, corrosion-resistant. Stable performance in both acidic and alkaline pulp environments. Design life far exceeds metal chutes.
Processes fine hematite and specularite after magnetic separation or flotation, with recovery much higher than traditional chutes. DI1200-2000 multi-start configuration suitable for roughing and scavenging in medium-large iron ore processing plants.
These high-density minerals have large density differences from gangue, and the spiral chute's cross-section circulation provides excellent separation. DI900-1200 suitable for tungsten-tin cleaning, DI600 for laboratory or small-scale Ta-Nb testing.
Handles roughing enrichment of placer gold and gravity recovery in rock gold grinding circuits, extracting liberated coarse gold early. Multi-stage series connection can progressively upgrade concentrate grade.
Processing heavy minerals such as ilmenite, zircon and monazite from beach placer deposits. FRP material is seawater corrosion resistant, very suitable for coastal and beach placer roughing enrichment.
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