ABSTRACT
One of the most effective techniques used for the separation of fine solid particles is sedimentation. Sedimentation is the act of the settling of solid particles in a fluid medium under the force of gravity. In a large volume of fluid, the particle settles by its own specific gravity, size and shape and uninfluenced by the surrounding particles as the particles are not crowded. Particles are said to be equal settling if they have the same terminal velocities in the same fluid and in the same field of force. Settling ratio is the ratio of the sizes of two particles of different specific gravities that fall at equal rates. The motion of a particle, when it starts settling in the fluid and move through the fluid, can be divided into two stages: the acceleration period and the terminal velocity period. Free settling predominates in well dispersed pulps where the percent of solids by weight is less than 10.
