In alluvial, hard rock, and tailings recovery projects, the most common gravity separation equipment includes shaking tables, spiral chute, and centrifugal concentrators. While all three rely on differences in mineral density, they differ greatly in efficiency, capacity, and recovery rate.
Shaking Table: Precise but Limited in Capacity
Shaking table separates heavy and light minerals through continuous reciprocating motion combined with water flow.
Advantages
High separation accuracy; suitable for refining concentrates.
Limitations
Small processing capacity, large footprint, not ideal for large-scale continuous production.
Spiral chute: Simple Structure but Lower Recovery
Spiral chute separates minerals as slurry flows down an inclined channel, allowing heavy minerals to settle.
Advantages
Simple design, low cost, easy operation.
Limitations
Highly dependent on slurry conditions and operator skills; recovery rate typically only 50–70%; poor performance on fine gold.
Centrifugal Concentrator: Efficiency & Recovery Redefined
Centrifugal concentrator uses high-speed rotation to generate strong centrifugal force, allowing heavy minerals to settle rapidly under dozens of times the force of gravity.
Advantages
High Recovery Rate – Especially effective for fine gold (-0.074mm), achieving recoveries above 90%.
Large Capacity – Far higher throughput compared to shaking tables and sluices with the same footprint.
Automation – Some models feature intermittent or continuous discharge, reducing manual labor.
Wide Application – Suitable for alluvial gold, hard rock ores, and tailings retreatment.
Water & Energy Saving – Consumes less water per ton than sluices, ideal for water-scarce or environmentally regulated sites.
Conclusion
For refining concentrates, shaking tables remain useful;
For small-scale testing or low-budget setups, spiral chute are convenient;
But for modern mining operations, the centrifugal concentrator offers higher recovery rates, greater capacity, and automation, making it the core equipment in gold gravity separation today.
Choosing a centrifugal concentrator means higher gold recovery, lower operating costs, and faster ROI.