Spiral chute machine For Sale

Spiral gravity separator spiral chute is also called spiral concentrator or gravity separator, it’s a kind of gravity concentrator which can separate mineral particles according to density, granularity and shape by the interaction of centrifugal force, friction force of chute surface, water flow pressure and gravity of minerals. Spirals are made of high-density fiberglass, high quality emery and unsaturated resin.

Spiral Chute Definition

A Spiral Chute is a gravity-based separation device used to separate minerals of different specific gravities using a flowing film of slurry in a helical trough.

Often called a Gravity Spiral Separator or simply a spiral, it combines the forces of gravity, centrifugation, and friction. It is physically a stationary trough that twists downward like a spiral staircase. It has no moving parts. This lack of moving components defines its identity in the mining industry. It is typically made of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP), which makes it lightweight yet incredibly durable against corrosion and wear.

In a typical beneficiation flowsheet, the Mineral Spiral Separator sits between the initial grinding stage and the final cleaning stage. It is designed to process the “middle” fraction of particle sizes—usually between 0.3mm and 0.02mm.

Benefits and Advantages of Spiral Chute

Why do mines from South Africa to Australia rely on spiral chutes? The answer lies in the “Price-Performance Ratio.”

• Zero Power Consumption:This is the biggest selling point. Once the slurry is pumped to the top of the spiral bank, gravity does 100% of the work. There are no motors, no belts, and no electricity required for the separation process itself. This drastically cuts operating costs (OPEX).
• Minimal Maintenance:Because it has no moving parts, nothing breaks. There are no bearings to grease or gears to replace. The only maintenance required is occasional inspection of the surface lining.
• High Capacity:A single spiral column can process 2 to 6 tons of ore per hour. However, spirals are modular. You can install banks of 20, 50, or 100 spirals side-by-side to handle thousands of tons per day.
• Water Efficiency:Compared to other gravity methods like jigs, the Spiral Chute generally consumes less water. It effectively utilizes the water present in the slurry feed.
• Adaptability:It is insensitive to minor fluctuations in feeding volume and density. Even if your feed pump surges slightly, the spiral continues to separate effectively without needing constant adjustment.

What are Spiral Chute Used For?

The application range of the Spiral Concentrator is vast. It is used wherever there is a significant weight difference (Specific Gravity difference) between the valuable mineral and the waste rock.

• Metallic Minerals:It is the standard equipment for upgrading Iron ore (Hematite, Magnetite), Ilmenite, Chromite, Pyrite, Tungsten, and Tin. It removes the lightweight silica (sand) leaving the heavy metal concentrate.
• Non-Metallic Minerals:In the silica sand industry, spirals are used in reverse. The goal is to remove heavy impurities (like iron or titanium) from the light silica sand to produce high-purity glass sand. It is also used for Zircon sand processing and Garnet recovery.
• Coal Washing:Specialized larger spirals are capable of separating coal from shale. Coal is lighter and moves to the outside, while the heavy shale moves to the inside.

Application of Spiral chute

The spiral chute is suitable for separation of 0.3-0.02mm fine materials such as iron ore, ilmenite ore, chromite ore, pyrite ore, zircon ore, rutile ore, monazite ore, tungsten ore, tin ore, tantalum ore, niobium ore and other materials with enough specific gravity difference. It is the best roughing gravity equipment, which has been widely used in ferrous and nonferrous metal mines.

Placer Gold, Chrome, or Iron: What Ores Suit Spiral Chute Best?

While versatile, the Spiral Chute performs exceptionally well on specific ore types due to their density profiles.

• Iron Ore Beneficiation:This is the largest global market for spirals. In processing Hematite or Magnetite, the rock is crushed and ground. The spiral separates the heavy iron needed for steel making from the light silica waste. ZONEDING spirals are specifically calibrated to handle the high density of iron ore slurries.
• Chrome Ore Washing:Chromite is heavy. The gangue is light. Spirals are the primary method for roughing chrome ore. They quickly reject bulk waste, upgrading the content from 20% to roughly 35-40% before it is sent to shaking tables for final purification.
• Placer Gold Mining:For alluvial gold, spirals act as excellent scavengers. While they might not catch the big nuggets (sluices do that), they are perfect for recovering fine gold from the sand tailings that sluice boxes might miss. They are also used to recover heavy black sands containing gold.

Spiral chute features

What Are Key Components of Spiral Chute?

Understanding the anatomy of the machine helps in installation and ordering spare parts.

• 1. Feeder (Feed Box):Located at the very top. It ensures the slurry is distributed evenly into each spiral start. A uniform feed is critical for a smooth flow.
• 2. Spiral Trough (Launder):The helical body made of fiberglass. The inner surface is the separation zone.
• 3. Product Splitters (Cutters):Located at the bottom discharge end. These are adjustable mechanically. You move them to physically slice the flow of material, directing concentrate to one pipe, middlings to another, and tailings to a third.
• 4. Support Stand:Usually made of channel steel (cross or triangular shape). It holds the spiral upright. ZONEDING pre-assembles these frames to ensure stability.
• 5. Discharge Hopper:catches the separated streams and directs them into the factory piping system.

Working principle of Spiral chute

How Can a Spiral Chute Work Without Electricity?

The magic of the Gravity Spiral Separator lies in physics, not electricity. It converts potential energy into kinetic energy.

• The Three Forces:
  • Gravity: Pulls everything down.
  • Centrifugal Force: As the slurry flows around the curve, it wants to fly outward.
  • Friction: The surface of the chute provides resistance.
• The Separation Process:When the slurry flows down, heavy particles (Iron, Gold) sink quickly to the bottom of the stream. They experience more friction against the chute surface, so they slow down. They gravitate toward the inner rim of the spiral.Light particles (Sand) stay on top of the water film. They experience less friction and move faster. The centrifugal force pushes these fast, light particles to the outer rim of the spiral.Essentially, the heavy stuff hugs the inside pole, and the light stuff washes to the outside wall.

Technical Parameter of Spiral chute

Model	Processing capacity(t/h)
DL2000	15-40
DL1500	8-16
LL1200	4-6
LL900	2-3

Customer Cases