The following occurs in a continuous thickener:
Feed slurry becomes very diluted on entering the feed well and leaves the feed well as a dilute suspension
from which particulate settling occurs. Considerable lateral movement occurs in the floc bed zone, ie
particles are forced to the edges of the thickener. Further liquid entering into the feed well sustains this
dilution effect. The floc particles agglomerate and settle to the surface of the thickening pulp, and continue
to concentrate in this zone until underflow density is reached.