CLEANING AND SORTING OF NUTS, SEEDS AND GRAINS

SPECIFIC GRAVITY SEPARATOR

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Classifies materials according to density or specific gravity.

This unit was originally developed by the Mineral Industry to separate
ore from clay or dirt and to grade ore in mining districts.
It has been adapted by the Seed Industry for the grading of seed and
separation of crop seed and contaminations.

3 basic rules to apply:

1. Particles of the same size but different densities can be separated.
2. Different-size particles of the same density can be separated.
3. A mixture of particles of different sizes and densities cannot be
separated.
Component parts of Gravity Separator
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Airblast fan
Air- equalizing chamber
Perforated deck
Variable-speed eccentric
Deck rocker arms
Feeding and metering device
Deck end-raise adjustment
Deck side-tilt adjustment

*End- raise adjustment varies the inclination of the discharge edge.

*side-tilt adjustment adjusts the deck so that the back is higher than the
front.
*one end of the deck is a discharge edge and the sides are the banking rails.
Types of seeds:
a. raw seed seeds after threshing, containing good seed, inert matter, light
and shrivelled seed, oversized and undersized seed and weed seed.
b. Cleaned seed seed from which chaff dust, undersize, oversize, removed by
an air-screen cleaner.
c. Good seed graded seed having high degree of physical purity as per
standards prescribed under seed act.
d. Pure seed graded seed completely free from visible physical impurity
e. Healthy and viable seed physically pure seed capable of germination to give
healthy plant.
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A mixture to be separated is metered at a uniform rate to the back
of the deck.
Slntof the deck and its oscillating motion move the seed over the
deck.

 Air forced up through the porous deck from the equalizing chamber
forms thousands of small jetc which cause the material to stratify
into layers of different densities in much the same manner.
The air stratified the material, the light material floats and the
heavy material is in contact with the deck.
The oscillating motion of the deck walks the heavy material uphill
nearly parallel to the discharge edge and the air floats the light
material downhill.
As the material travels from the feed point on the deck to the
discharge edge, a gradation of material takes place ranging from
light material on the upper side.
By means of movable splitters, the discharge can be divided into any
number of density fractions.
Components of the gravity separator
1. DECK
- Heart of the gravity machine
- Is the adjustable frame fitted in the body with oscillating mechanism or
table on which fluidization of material and separation is effected.