
The Peony Decanter Centrifuge for Bentonite Slurry Dewatering is designed for the continuous thickening, dewatering, and recovery of bentonite slurry generated during mining, washing, beneficiation, drilling fluid treatment, mineral processing, and wastewater recovery.
Bentonite slurry is often highly viscous and contains ultra-fine clay particles with strong water-retention properties. A properly selected decanter centrifuge separates the slurry into a concentrated bentonite solids phase and clarified liquid phase for recycle, reuse, or further treatment.
For high-swelling sodium bentonite, low-solids slurry, or difficult-to-settle fine particles, polymer dosing, feed conditioning, differential speed control, and pond-depth adjustment may be required to achieve stable recovery and acceptable liquid clarity.
Peony provides the continuous separation section between bentonite slurry preparation and downstream filtration, drying, storage, or water recycle.
Bentonite Ore / Raw Clay → Crushing and Blunging → Screening / Desanding → Slurry Tank → Optional Polymer Dosing → Decanter Centrifuge → Thickened Bentonite Solids → Filter Press / Dryer / Storage
Clarified Liquid → Process Water Tank → Recycle to Washing or Slurry Preparation
Peony can provide:
Bentonite slurry enters the rotating bowl through a controlled feed pipe.
A stable feed condition is important because bentonite slurry viscosity and solids concentration can change significantly during production.
Inside the high-speed bowl, centrifugal force separates bentonite solids from the liquid phase.
The denser solid particles settle against the bowl wall, while clarified liquid forms the inner liquid layer.
The internal screw conveyor rotates at a controlled differential speed relative to the bowl.
This moves the settled bentonite solids toward the conical end for continuous discharge.
The separated liquid flows to the liquid outlet.
Depending on water quality requirements, it can be returned to the washing process, reused as process water, sent to a settling tank, or routed to further treatment.
The concentrated bentonite solids are continuously discharged from the solids outlet.
Final solids concentration depends on feed solids, bentonite type, particle size, slurry viscosity, polymer use, bowl speed, differential speed, pond depth, and throughput.

| Model | Diameter (mm) | Length (mm) | Length-to-diameter rate | G force | Max solid discharge (m³/h) | Weight (kg) | Dimension (L*W*H) (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDC-10 | 250 | 1000 | 4 | 4080 | 0.4 | 1000 | 2410*800*1080 |
| PDC-12 | 4200 | 1350 | 4 | 3500 | 0.6 | 1200 | 2610*800*1080 |
| PDC-12 | 4200 | 1350 | 4.5 | 3180 | 1.2 | 1800 | 3495*840*1180 |
| PDC-18 | 4000 | 1600 | 4.5 | 3180 | 1.2 | 3200 | 3497*1020*1385 |
| PDC-18 | 450 | 2150 | 4 | 2500 | 2 | 3800 | 4447*1080*1385 |
| PDC-20 | 400 | 2250 | 4.5 | 2500 | 3.5 | 4000 | 4580*1140*1470 |
| PDC-21 | 530 | 2280 | 4.3 | 2500 | 5 | 5000 | 4924*1170*1540 |
| PDC-26 | 655 | 2800 | 4.3 | 2270 | 8 | 7000 | 4300*1900*1350 |
Sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, activated bentonite, and mixed clay materials can behave differently in water. Swelling tendency, viscosity, and water retention should be confirmed before model selection.
Bentonite often contains ultra-fine particles that settle slowly. Where liquid clarity or solids recovery is critical, polymer dosing or feed conditioning may be required.
Very dilute slurry may require higher hydraulic capacity or additional thickening before dewatering. High-solids slurry may require stronger feed control to prevent overload.
High viscosity can reduce settling performance and affect solids conveying. Differential speed and torque protection should be selected according to actual slurry behavior.
A decanter centrifuge is usually used for continuous thickening and primary dewatering. When very low final moisture is required, it is often followed by a filter press, vacuum filter, or thermal dryer.
The decanter centrifuge continuously removes water from bentonite slurry, reducing slurry volume before filter pressing, drying, storage, or transportation.
It helps recover fine bentonite solids from process water and overflow slurry, reducing product loss and improving water reuse.
Bowl speed, differential speed, pond depth, and feed rate can be adjusted to respond to changes in slurry concentration, viscosity, and settling behavior.
Pre-thickening with a decanter centrifuge can reduce the load on filter presses, vacuum filters, and thermal drying equipment.
With PLC and VFD control, the centrifuge can maintain stable operation with less manual intervention than conventional settling or batch filtration systems.
The feed zone, scroll flights, cone section, and solids discharge area can be protected against wear caused by quartz, sand, grit, or other mineral impurities carried with the clay slurry.
Please provide the following information for a suitable Bentonite Slurry Dewatering solution:
Yes. It can continuously thicken and dewater bentonite slurry when the feed condition, bowl speed, differential speed, and pond depth are properly selected. For very fine or highly swelling bentonite, polymer dosing may be required.
Not always. However, polymer can improve settling, solids recovery, and clarified liquid quality for very fine, low-solids, or difficult-to-settle bentonite slurry.
Yes. The clarified liquid can be returned to the washing process, slurry preparation tank, dust-control system, or other process-water recycle points, depending on the required water quality.
It depends on the final moisture target. A decanter centrifuge is suitable for continuous thickening and primary dewatering. A filter press or dryer may still be needed when a much drier bentonite product is required.
Wear protection is recommended when the slurry contains quartz sand, grit, silica, or other abrasive mineral impurities. The feed zone, scroll flights, cone, and solids discharge area are typical wear points.
Peony welcomes distributor and agent cooperation with bentonite producers, drilling fluid suppliers, mineral processing plants, foundry material manufacturers, wastewater treatment contractors, and industrial separation partners.
We support partners with bentonite slurry testing, centrifuge selection, polymer dosing design, wear-resistant configuration, feed and recycle system integration, installation guidance, commissioning support, spare parts, and after-sales service.
Send us your bentonite type, slurry solids concentration, particle size, viscosity, required capacity, clarified-water target, final moisture requirement, and downstream handling arrangement. Our engineering team will recommend a suitable Decanter Centrifuge solution for your bentonite slurry dewatering process.