A type of cyclone device used for the separation of particles suspended in a liquid. It is operated by feeding the liquid suspension tangentially into the top of the device to produce a centrifugal vortex action. This allows the more dense and coarse particles to be separated in the underflow while the smaller particles leave through the overflow. They are used in mineral ore processing, drilling mud separations, and oil–water separations on offshore operations. They have a low capital cost, are cheap to operate, and have the ability to separate materials based on small differences in particle size.