A hydrocyclone is a static device that applies centrifugal force to a liquid mixture so as to promote the separation of heavy and light components.

The hydrocyclone is a closed vessel designed to convert incoming liquid velocity into rotary motion. It does this by directing inflow tangentially near the top of a vertical cylinder. This spins the entire contents of the cylinder, creating centrifugal force in the liquid.

Heavy components move outward toward the wall of the cylinder where they agglomerate and spiral down the wall to the outlet at the bottom of the vessel. Light components move toward the axis of the hydrocyclone where they move up toward the outlet at the top of the vessel.

The hydrocyclone is widely used in the fields of ferrous, non-ferrous metals concentrator, chemical, pharmaceutical and ceramics. As an equipment of grading, desliming concentration, dehydration, it has the features of large size, small space, saving investment and high classification efficiency.

The hydraulic cyclone is a hydro cyclone cylinder composed of the upper part of a hollow cylinder, and the lower portion of the vertebral body. In addition, hydraulic cyclone also has feeding pipe, overflow pipe, overflow conduit and grit mouth.
        

The hydraulic cyclone, a common classifier, is designed according to the centrifugation and sedimentation theory. When the two-phase or three-phase mixed liquor is fed into hydraulic cyclone through feeding opening, the mixed liquor can form a three-dimensional and oval and strong rotating and tangent cyclone. Considering that there is a particle size difference between fine and coarse ores, the majority of coarse ores precipitates to bottom in a spiral trajectory by the action of centrifugal force, centripetal force, buoyancy and fluid resistance, etc, and then is discharged. Fine ores form a cyclone, move up and then overflow through the overflow outlet.
       

Hydrocyclones are also related to centrifuges in that both are intended to separate heavies and lights by application of centrifugal force to liquids. The key difference is that hydrocyclones are passive separators capable of applying modest amounts of centrifugal force, whereas centrifuges are dynamic separators that are generally able to apply much more centrifugal force than hydrocyclones. Another key difference between hydroclones and centrifuges is cost. Centrifuges are expensive precision rotating machines that often need sophisticated control, whereas hydrocyclones have no moving parts and usually no controls at all so they are lower cost devices.

Hydrocyclones and centrifuges are complementary rather than competing devices. If gravity alone will settle a significant portion of your solids in a minute or two using a quick bottle test, you should investigate hydrocyclone separation. If settling takes much longer than this, then you may need a centrifuge or other separation method.