A flocculation apparatus and method for treating colloidal suspensions.
The apparatus includes a suspension inlet, a suspension outlet and an
inner cone mounted centrally in a conical outer housing. The inner cone
and/or the outer housing is rotatable relative to one another and a gap
for through-flow of suspensions is present between the inner cone and the
outer housing. In the method, continuously measuring a flock size
distribution of a suspension stream passed into the flocculation
apparatus is provided. Additionally provided is axially displacing the
inner cone and/or outer housing as a function of the flock size
distribution and the suspension volume flow rate.