Thickeners

AGGREGATE PROCESSING DIVISION

EQUIPMENT, SYSTEMS & PROCESS INNOVATION – SINCE 1835

 HIGH RATE THICKENERS
McLanahan is a leader in providing fines recovery and
water management solutions to the Aggregate and
Mining industries. McLanahan has designed a High Rate
Thickener with simplicity of concept but with specific
benefits for today’s operators. Our Thickeners provide
a low operating cost answer to recovering immediately
re-usable process water; additionally, they reduce the
need for settling ponds minimizing environmental and
water consumption concerns.

The Ultra Clear Thickener

High Rate Thickeners make use of polymers to help
separates fine solids from agglomerate very fine particles into larger particles that
water so the water is can settle much faster than the fine particles themselves.
available for immediate All solids settle to the bottom of Thickeners and clean
reuse in the wash plant. water rises to the top so the solids settling rate must
always be greater than the clean water rise rate. Care
must be taken when sizing Thickeners to avoid selecting
a unit that will be too small. If the clean water rise rate
is too high, more polymer must be added to the solids to
overcome upward rising velocity.
 Rakes – Minimum drag rake arm design reduces the
amount of torque required to move the rakes through
the settled solids and minimizes the disturbance of the
already settled solids.

BENEFITS
• Immediate availability of approximately 90%
Feed Well – The McLanahan feed well is oversized to
of plant water for reuse in wash plant
aid in the removal of air bubbles that may have formed
• Drastic reduction in slurry volume reporting through potential turbulence in the feed. Air removal
to waste ponds
promotes in the settling process.
• Reduction in horsepower required to pump
fresh water

DESIGN FEATURES
Tank Design – Thickener tanks can be supplied as
“weld together” or “bolt together” and with concrete or
steel bottoms. All McLanahan Thickener Tanks include an
overflow launder with adjustable weirs.

Hydraulic Drive – Drives the rakes and operates the

rake lift. This system provides very accurate rake torque
monitoring and allows the rakes to be operated in
forward and reverse.

Planetary Gearbox - Provides

the proper speed reduction and
torque to drive the rakes.

PLC Controls – Automate Thickener operation. This local

panel is easy to read outdoors and provides screen
access from a remote location.
HOW THICKENERS WORK
•1 Feed enters the velocity
break box where excess
energy is removed from
the slurry prior to entering
the Thickener feed pipe.

•2 Flocculant is added into

the feed pipe and mixes
with the solids, forming
larger agglomerations, that
will rapidly settle to the
bottom of the Thickener.

•3 The feed well is oversized

allowing entrapped air,
contained within the feed
slurry, to rise and dissipate
so it does not enter the
main settling zone within
the Thickener.

•4 Flocculated solids settle to the bottom of the

Thickener, compacting in what is known as the
compression zone, creating a dense slurry.
STANDARD SIZES & CAPACITIES
Thickeners are typically sized based on achieving
settling rates of 6-10 inches per minute, which
translates to a loading rate of 3 gpm of slurry feed per

•5 The dense Thickener solids are raked to the

thickener’s underflow cone and are removed via a
slurry pump through the underflow pipe. Underflow
square foot of tank surface area.

Thickener Diameter Nominal Max Capacity (GPM)

slurry densities can vary based on the type of
20 ft. 1,000
material being processed, size distribution of solids
30 ft. 2,000
being settled, or other process factors but as a
36 ft. 3,000
general rule, range from 35-50% solids by weight.
42 ft. 4,000

•6 Clean water rises to the top of the Thickener and

overflows a peripheral weir into a collection launder.
50 ft.
60 ft.
6,000
8,000

•7 Once collected in the overflow launder, clean water

exits through a single flanged outlet and can flow via
gravity to a water storage tank or clean water pond
75 ft.
90 ft.
125 ft.
13,000
20,000
40,000

for reuse.

AGGREGATE PROCESSING DIVISION

We Invite Your Inquiries.
WORLD HEADQUARTERS TENNESSEE OFFICE FLORIDA OFFICE AUSTRALIAN OFFICE
200 Wall Street 585 Airport Road 2920 Barneys Pump Place 8/9 Tonella Centre, 125 Bull Street
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 USA Gallatin, TN 37066 USA Lakeland, FL 33813 USA Newcastle West, NSW 2302 Australia
Ph: 814-695-9807 Ph: 615-451-4440 Ph: 863-667-2090 Ph: +02 49 248 248
Fax: 814-695-6684 Fax: 615-451-4461 Fax: 863-667-0449 Fax: +02 4926 2514
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

www.mclanahan.com

Guards are recommended for safe operation of equipment. In some photos, safety guards may not be shown. THCK-0102