Ore separation wheel

A material separation apparatus for separating at least one heavy material from a mixture of heavy and light materials, comprising:

• a) a circular ore separation wheel having an exterior surface, a concave shaped interior surface, and a central hole;
• b) a plurality of projected spiral portions having a saw-tooth cross-section in form of a plurality of teeth making a negative draft angle of less than 90 degrees between a tooth and the concave shaped interior surface;
• c) wherein the plurality of projected spiral portions is tilted towards and radially extends out from the central hole to a periphery of the circular ore separation wheel;
• d) at least one circumferential wall having an inner surface and an outer surface attached to the periphery of the circular ore separation wheel;
• e) a plurality of triangular projecting strips attached to the inner surface of the circumferential wall;
• f) a circular lip portion attached to and extending out from a top edge of the circumferential wall;
• and
• g) a central hub attached to the central hole of the circular ore separation wheel, tilted at a predetermined tilting angle with a vertical direction, for rotating the circular ore separation wheel at a predetermined speed for separating the at least one heavy material from the mixture of heavy and light materials;
• whereby the mixture of heavy and light materials deposited proximate to a periphery of the circular ore separation wheel, tilted at the predetermined tilting angle on a supporting means and rotating at the predetermined speed, enables gradual movement of the heavy materials from the periphery towards the central hole of the circular ore separation wheel;
• wherein at least a portion of a surface of the plurality of projected spiral portions are provided with a plurality of adjacent micro lines extending along a length thereof.