A trommel scrubber also known as a drum scrubber or rotary scrubber is a specialized type of ore washing equipment used primarily in the mining industry to clean and separate materials containing large amounts of clay, mud, or other water-soluble contaminants. Its main purpose is to break up and remove sticky clay, lumps, and soft oxides from bulk ore, sand, gravel, and aggregates, thereby improving the quality and grade of the processed material.
The trommel scrubber consists of a large, slowly rotating cylindrical drum equipped with internal scrapers, lifters, and sometimes high-pressure water spray systems. The drum may be divided into sections for soaking, scrubbing, and screening.
As the drum rotates, the raw material, often containing mud and large rocks, is tumbled and agitated. The internal lifters and the tumbling action, combined with water, help to break down and wash away clay and other impurities. Pebbles and rocks within the drum also assist in the scrubbing process.
After washing, the material passes through a screening section (trommel screen) that separates it by size. Coarse debris is removed, while finer, cleaner material continues to downstream processing equipment such as jigs, sluice boxes, or centrifuges.
Trommel scrubbers are widely used for washing gold, diamond, copper, manganese, iron ore, and other minerals, especially when the ore is heavily contaminated with clay or mud. They are also used in sand and gravel plants and construction sites for desliming and cleaning aggregates.
In summary, a trommel scrubber is a robust, high-capacity machine essential for mineral processing operations where efficient removal of clay and contaminants from ore or aggregate is required.
