Dense medium cyclones separate particles primarily according to their differences in density, and are used in the beneficiation of coal, iron ore, and diamonds, amongst others. The cyclone can, however, be constrained by the ore carrying capacity of the spigot, especially for ores in which a significantly large proportion of the feed particles need exit through the sinks stream. Currently, the spigot capacities used in the sizing and selection process for dense medium cyclones are based mainly on those capacities provided by the original developers of the dense medium cyclone, Dutch State Mines (DSM). Further, it is not clear which parameters, other than the spigot diameter, have an influence on the spigot capacity of dense medium cyclones. The influence of the cyclone geometry and operating conditions on the spigot capacity of dense medium cyclones was investigated, and parameters of importance in this regard were identified. An empirical model that quantifies the effect of the various parameters on the spigot capacity is presented in this paper. Furthermore, the spigot capacities determined experimentally in this study are compared with those given by DSM. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.