Exhaustion

Separation of slowly settling small particles of a polydisperse suspension from rapidly settling larger and heavier particles by draining a liquid containing particles that have not yet settled from the settled sediment. Elutriation is a method of hydraulic classification of crushed materials (with grain sizes from a few tenths of a micron to several mm), combining settling with decanting in series-connected settling tanks (pools, vats, chambers). Elutriation is used in the enrichment of mineral raw materials, the production of fine powders, and the purification of clays, in particular kaolin, from mechanical impurities (sand, mica, feldspar, etc.). According to TSB.