05 Filtration
05 Filtration
05 Filtration
3. Filter media
4. Filter aids
▪ Filters are also classified, therefore, (a) into those that operate with a
pressure above atmospheric on the upstream side of the filter medium and
(b) those that operate with atmospheric pressure on the upstream side and
a vacuum on the downstream side.
▪ In a gravity filter the filter medium can be no finer than a coarse screen or
a bed of coarse particles like sand. Gravity filters are therefore restricted in
their industrial applications to the draining of liquor from very coarse
crystals, the clarification of potable water, and the treatment of wastewater
❑ The porous medium used to retain the solids is described as the filter
medium.
❑ Gravity filters
❑ Pressure filters
❑ Vacuum filters
❑ Centrifugal filters
▪ The most common types of pressure filters are filter presses and
shell-and-leaf filters.
▪ Most commonly the compartments for solids are formed by recesses in the
faces of molded polypropylene plates.
▪ In all continuous vacuum filters liquor is sucked through a moving septum to deposit
a cake of solids.
▪ The cake is moved out of the filtering zone, washed, sucked dry, and dislodged from
the septum, which then reenters the slurry to pick up another solids.
▪ Some part of the septum is in the filtering zone at all times, part is in the washing
zone, and part is being relieved of its load of solids, so that the discharge of both
solids and liquids from the filter is uninterrupted.
▪ The pressure differential across the septum in a continuous vacuum filter is not high,
ordinarily between 250 and 500 mm Hg.
▪ Apply vacuum from a stationary source to the moving parts of the unit through a
rotary valve.
Uses:
1. It can separate solids of small particle size
from liquids.
2. It can be used to separate immiscible liquids
from one another e.g. the two components of
emulsion.
3. It can be used for filtration of very diluted
suspensions i.e. solutions containing very low
concentration of solids.
▪ Media synthetic cloths, the materials can be polyester, nylon, polypropylene, PVDF
(Kynar), PEEK, or fluoropolymers (such as ETFE, PTFE, E-CTFE, carbonized, and
polyester)
▪ Metal media can be single layer or multilayer and can be different types of stainless
steel and alloys, such as Hastelloy, Inconel, nickel, Monel, titanium, and others
▪ Media synthetic cloths, the materials can be polyester, nylon, polypropylene, PVDF
(Kynar), PEEK, or fluoropolymers (such as ETFE, PTFE, E-CTFE, carbonized, and
polyester)
▪ Metal media can be single layer or multilayer and can be different types of stainless
steel and alloys, such as Hastelloy, Inconel, nickel, Monel, titanium, and others
Twilled weave
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FILTER AIDS
▪ In some cases, to help the filtration process, filter aids are used to change the solid
phase of the material
▪ Diatomite, perlite, and cellulose are the most widely used porous media (filter aids) in
dynamic process filtrations, with a high percentage of fine filtration applications using
diatomite
▪ Filter aid can be used as a precoat or a body feed. As a precoat, the filter aid protects
the filter media against the penetration of unwanted solids and premature blinding of
the media.
▪ In practice a combination of the two approaches is most common.
▪ There will always be a tradeoff of precoat, body feed, and the optimization of
their usage compared to the blinding of the filter media as well as the filtration
flux rate.
2. The properties of the solid, for example, particle shape, particle size,
particle size distribution, and the rigidity or compressibility of the solid.
4. Whether the objective is to collect the solid, the liquid ,or both.
5. Whether the solids have to be washed free from the liquid or a solute.
𝑑𝑉 𝐾𝐴𝑃
=
𝑑𝑡 µ𝑙
𝑑𝑉 Process parameter :
= 𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒
𝑑𝑡 K = constant for the filter medium and filter cake
V = volume of filtrate A = area of filter medium
t = time of filtration P = pressure drop across the filter medium and filter cake
µ = viscosity of the filtrate
l = thickness of cake.
▪ Also the surface area of the particles, the porosity of the cake,
and rigidity or compressibility of the particles could affect the
permeability of the cake.
Mechanical components
▪ The engineer will need to provide information about materials of construction,
temperature, pressures, seal information, compatibilities of the solids, liquids,
cleaning solutions, and other characteristics.
▪ Other questions can include, but are not limited to: What is the level of
containment? Are there space constraints at the plant? Is it a complex process?
Separation performance
▪ Includes capacities or throughputs of solids, liquids or dry solids, filtrate
quality, dryness, washing liquids, conductivity, wash ratios, and more.
▪ Is the product the liquid or the solid or both?
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“ChE Undip for better life”
“ChE Undip for better life”
“ChE Undip for better life”
“ChE Undip for better life”
Rule of thumb