Rotary Scrubbers

McLanahan Rotary Scrubbers

Heavy-Duty Scrubbing and Washing for Mining and Mineral Processing

McLanahan Rotary Scrubbers are heavy-duty washing and scrubbing machines designed to break down, clean and condition bulk materials for downstream processing.

The rotating drum provides vigorous agitation by lifting and tumbling the feed material through a water-based slurry. This action helps break down clay-bound material, remove dirt and unwanted coatings, and liberate valuable particles for subsequent processing.

Rotary Scrubbers are particularly suitable for applications involving difficult-to-wash materials where intensive scrubbing is required before screening, classification or mineral recovery.

How McLanahan Rotary Scrubbers Work

Feed material and water enter the rotating drum at the feed end.

As the drum rotates, internal lifters raise the material and allow it to fall back through the slurry.

This repeated lifting, dropping and tumbling action creates intense scrubbing and washing.

The mechanical action helps break apart clay-bound material and remove dirt, clay and other unwanted surface coatings from the particles.

As the material travels through the drum, the washed material progresses toward the discharge end for further processing.

The process can be summarized as:

Feeding + Washing + Scrubbing + Attrition + Material Liberation

Aggressive Washing and Scrubbing

The rotating drum provides continuous mechanical agitation of the feed material.

The combination of water and tumbling action helps:

Break down clay-bound material
Remove dirt and mud
Disperse clay
Clean particle surfaces
Separate unwanted coatings
Liberate valuable mineral particles

This makes Rotary Scrubbers particularly useful when material requires more than simple water washing.

Clay-Bound Material

Clay can cause significant problems in mining and mineral processing operations by coating valuable mineral particles or binding particles together.

The vigorous action inside the Rotary Scrubber helps break down these clay bonds and release individual particles.

The liberated clay and fines can then be removed during subsequent washing, screening or classification stages.

Mineral Liberation

Rotary Scrubbing can help expose valuable mineral particles by removing unwanted surface coatings and breaking apart agglomerated material.

This can improve the performance of downstream separation and recovery equipment.

Depending on the application, the scrubbed material can be directed to:

Screens
Hydrocyclones
Classifiers
Gravity separators
Magnetic separators
Flotation circuits
Other mineral processing equipment

Internal Lifters

Internal lifters installed inside the rotating drum help raise and tumble the material.

The lifters improve contact between the material, water and the internal surface of the drum.

Their configuration is selected according to the material characteristics and required scrubbing performance.

Water-Based Slurry Processing

Water is an essential part of the Rotary Scrubber process.

The feed material is combined with water inside the drum to create a slurry.

The water helps transport liberated clay, fines and other unwanted materials away from the cleaned particles.

Water requirements depend on:

Feed material
Clay content
Feed rate
Material characteristics
Required scrubbing performance
Downstream process requirements

Applications

McLanahan Rotary Scrubbers are suitable for applications including:

Mining
Mineral processing
Ore washing
Clay removal
Mineral liberation
Aggregate washing
Sand and gravel processing
Industrial minerals
Alluvial and placer material processing
Feed preparation
Material conditioning

Typical materials may include:

Gold-bearing ores
Diamond-bearing ores
Iron ore
Copper ore
Phosphate
Silica and industrial minerals
Sand
Gravel
Aggregates
Clay-bound ores
Other difficult-to-wash materials

Key Features & Benefits

Heavy-duty rotary scrubbing
Vigorous washing and agitation
Effective treatment of clay-bound materials
Helps remove clay, dirt and mud
Helps liberate valuable mineral particles
Continuous material tumbling
Water-based slurry processing
Internal lifters for improved material movement
Suitable for difficult-to-wash materials
Can be integrated with screening and classification systems
Suitable for mining and mineral processing applications
Robust construction
Designed for continuous operation

Factors Affecting Rotary Scrubber Performance

Actual capacity and scrubbing performance depend on several factors, including:

Feed rate
Feed particle size
Material type
Bulk density
Clay content
Material hardness
Material abrasiveness
Moisture content
Slurry density
Water flow rate
Drum diameter
Drum length
Drum speed
Drum inclination
Internal lifter configuration
Retention time
Required degree of cleaning
Downstream process requirements

Proper equipment sizing and process design are essential for achieving the required washing and scrubbing performance.

Selecting the Right Rotary Scrubber

The appropriate Rotary Scrubber should be selected based on:

Material type
Required capacity (TPH)
Maximum feed size
Feed gradation
Bulk density
Clay content
Material hardness
Material abrasiveness
Required degree of cleaning
Water availability
Slurry characteristics
Required retention time
Drum dimensions
Downstream screening and classification equipment
Overall process flowsheet

Laboratory or pilot testing may be recommended where the material characteristics or required scrubbing performance need to be established.

Cube Solutions can evaluate your application requirements and assist in selecting the appropriate McLanahan Rotary Scrubber configuration.