Abstract: The present separation apparatus makes it possible at low cost continuously to separate a mixture according to the density of its constituent particles which have been graded to an upper limit of the particle size of any shape, and is particularly suitable for the separation of electrical storage battery waste. A separation medium, consisting preferably of a liquid and a gaseous flow medium, fed into a vertical separator column (1) via a mixing nozzle (10) flows through the column from the bottom upwardly. Above a constriction (7) adjacent a through-flow aperture (9) there is a baffle (15) which is movable transversely relative to the longitudinal axis (4) of separator column (1) to form a flow channel (20) leading to the through-flow aperture (9). The width of the flow channel (20) when the baffle (15) lies against the internal wall (1a) of the separator column (1) is just sufficiently large to let the particles through.