Bauxite Washing Desliming and Classification Equipment

April.08,2026

The key to bauxite washing lies in scrubbing and dispersion. The objective is to thoroughly break down clay agglomerates and wash away the muddy films adhering to the surface of the bauxite ore through the combined action of powerful mechanical forces and water flow.

Rotary Drum Scrubber
A Trommel Scrubber consists of a slightly inclined rotating cylinder; the inner wall of the cylinder is fitted with liner plates and lifting flights. Material and water (typically referred to as “wash water”) are fed in from one end. As the cylinder rotates, the lifting flights carry the material to a certain height before dropping it, generating intense impact, abrasion, and scrubbing actions. A continuous flow of water rinses the dispersed clay and fine silt, forming a slurry that is subsequently discharged through the screen perforations in the cylinder wall. Characterized by its high processing capacity and efficient scrubbing performance, the rotary drum scrubber is the preferred equipment for bauxite washing operations.

Hydrocyclones
The slurry discharged from the scrubber is a mixture of particles of varying sizes, which requires classification to achieve “sand-silt separation.” The valuable particles (concentrate) in bauxite are typically coarse-grained, whereas the impurity clay and silt particles are extremely fine. **Hydraulic Classification:** The most commonly used equipment for this purpose includes spiral classifiers or hydrocyclones. Spiral classifiers utilize the rotation of spiral blades within an inclined trough to retrieve coarse particles with rapid settling velocities (underflow/sands) from the bottom, serving as the washed concentrate; conversely, fine silt particles (overflow) are carried away by the water flow and discharged over the upper overflow weir, becoming the tailings.