Riffle Splitter
With LAARMANN Riffle Splitters you can divide products fast and easily. The Riffle Splitter comes with three buckets which can be used to drop and catch the sample from both sides.
A riffle splitter is a device used in the preparation of bulk material samples, particularly in the fields of mining, geology, agriculture, and material science. The primary purpose of a riffle splitter is to divide a bulk sample into smaller, representative sub-samples, ensuring that each sub-sample maintains the same proportions of material as the original sample. This process is essential for achieving accurate and unbiased analytical results.
Features and Benefits
- Fast 2-way sample splitting for representative sub-samples
- Multiple riffle box sizes (6.3–75 mm) for different particle sizes
- Suitable for a wide range of materials
- Representative samples
Technical Specifications
| Applications | sampling and sample dividing |
| Application fields | Agriculture | Biology | Chemistry / Plastics | Construction Materials | Engineering / Electronics | Environment / Recycling | Geology / Metallurgy | Glass / Ceramics | Medicine / Pharmaceuticals | Mining and Mineral Processing | Cement and Building Materials Industry | Food and Feed Production | Environmental Labs (e.g. Soil and Waste Analysis) |
| Working principle | Sample dividing into two collectors |
| Maximum Feed size | 6.3 - 75mm |
| Riffle box types | 6.3mm, 12.5mm, 25mm, 37.5mm, 50mm, 75mm |
| Collector volume | 3L - 16L |
| Number of divisions / segments | 2 |
| Standard | CE |
| Weight | 18kg (depending on type) |
| Dimensions (width x length x height) | 400 x 800 x 1000 mm (depending on type) |
Riffle splitter working principle
The sample is poured evenly into the feed tray so it spreads across the full width of the riffle box. The riffle box contains alternating chutes that split the falling stream into two equal flows. Each flow is directed into a separate collector bucket, producing two representative sub-samples in one pass.
Representative splitting depends on a steady, uniform pour across the chutes. For smaller target sample sizes, one of the two portions can be split again by repeating the process. Different riffle box sizes (6.3–75 mm) are used to match particle size and improve flow, while collector volumes (3–16 L) support different batch sizes and workflows.
How a Riffle Splitter Works
The bulk material sample is poured into the hopper at the top of the riffle splitter. As the material flows through the hopper, it falls into the alternating riffle channels.
Each channel directs the material either to the left or right, effectively splitting the sample into two parts.
The two streams of material are collected in separate containers or pans placed beneath the riffle splitter. Each container holds a sub-sample that is representative of the original bulk sample.
If smaller sub-samples are needed, the process can be repeated by passing one of the sub-samples through the riffle splitter again. This process can continue until the desired sample size is achieved.
In a mining laboratory, a riffle splitter might be used to divide a 10 kg bulk sample of crushed ore into two 5 kg sub-samples. One sub-sample might be stored as a reference, while the other is further reduced in size and prepared for chemical analysis to determine its metal content.
The riffle splitter ensures that both sub-samples contain the same proportion of material types, leading to accurate and reliable test results.
In summary, a riffle splitter is an essential tool for sample preparation, widely used to obtain smaller, representative portions of a bulk material, ensuring consistency and accuracy in analytical procedures.
Riffle Splitter FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Applications
- Used to prepare representative sub-samples of ores, rocks, and minerals for analysis of metal content or other properties.
- Used to split soil samples, grain, or seeds for quality testing and analysis.
- Employed in the preparation of powders and other bulk materials for laboratory analysis.
- Used to sample aggregates, sand, and other construction materials for quality control.
Visit our Applications page for our database of specific applications