Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they

are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in
response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal
acceleration, or electromagnetism.
In geology, sedimentation is often described as the opposite of erosion, i.e., the terminal end
of sediment transport. In that sense, it includes the termination of transport by saltation or
true bedload transport. Settling is the falling of suspended particles through the liquid, whereas
sedimentation is the termination of the settling process. In estuarine environments, settling can
be influenced by the presence or absence of vegetation. Trees such as mangroves are crucial to
the attenuation of waves or currents, promoting the settlement of suspended particles.[1]
Sedimentation may pertain to objects of various sizes, ranging from large rocks in flowing water,
to suspensions of dust and pollen particles, to cellular suspensions, to solutions of
single molecules such as proteins and peptides. Even small molecules supply a sufficiently
strong force to produce significant sedimentation.
The term is typically used in geology to describe the deposition of sediment which results in the
formation of sedimentary rock, but it is also used in various chemical and environmental fields to
describe the motion of often smaller particles and molecules. This process is also used in the
biotech industry to separate cells from the culture media.
In a sedimentation experiment, the applied force accelerates the particles to a terminal
velocity  at which the applied force is exactly canceled by an opposing drag force. For small
enough particles (low Reynolds number), the drag force varies linearly with the terminal velocity,
i.e.,  (Stokes flow) where f depends only on the properties of the particle and the surrounding
fluid. Similarly, the applied force generally varies linearly with some coupling constant (denoted
here as q) that depends only on the properties of the particle, . Hence, it is generally possible to
define a sedimentation coefficient  that depends only on the properties of the particle and the
surrounding fluid. Thus, measuring s can reveal underlying properties of the particle.
In many cases, the motion of the particles is blocked by a hard boundary; the resulting
accumulation of particles at the boundary is called a sediment. The concentration of particles at
the boundary is opposed by the diffusion of the particles.
The sedimentation of a single particle under gravity is described by the Mason–Weaver equation,
which has a simple exact solution. The sedimentation coefficient s in this case equals , where  is
the buoyant mass.
The sedimentation of a single particle under centrifugal force is described by the Lamm equation,
which likewise has an exact solution. The sedimentation coefficient s also equals , where  is the
buoyant mass. However, the Lamm equation differs from the Mason–Weaver equation because
the centrifugal force depends on radius from the origin of rotation, whereas in the Mason–
Weaver equation gravity is constant. The Lamm equation also has extra terms, since it pertains
to sector-shaped cells, whereas the Mason–Weaver equation is one-dimensional.
Classification of sedimentation:[2]

 Type 1 sedimentation is characterized by particles that settle discretely at a constant

settling velocity, or by the deposition of Iron-Rich minerals to streamlines down to the point
source. They settle as individual particles and do not flocculate or stick to each other during
settling. Example: sand and grit material
 Type 2 sedimentation is characterized by particles that flocculate during sedimentation
and because of this their size is constantly changing and therefore their settling velocity is
changing. Example: alum or iron coagulation
 Type 3 sedimentation is also known as zone sedimentation. In this process the particles
are at a high concentration (greater than 1000 mg/L) such that the particles tend to settle as
a mass and a distinct clear zone and sludge zone are present. Zone settling occurs in lime-
softening, sedimentation, active sludge sedimentation and sludge thickeners.
 Settling is the process by which particulates settle to the bottom of a liquid and form
a sediment. Particles that experience a force, either due to gravity or due to centrifugal
motion will tend to move in a uniform manner in the direction exerted by that force. For
gravity settling, this means that the particles will tend to fall to the bottom of the vessel,
forming a slurry at the vessel base.
 Settling is an important operation in many applications, such
as mining, wastewater treatment, biological science, space propellant reignition,[1] and
scooping.
 Applications[edit]
 The solid-gas flow systems are present in many industrial applications, as dry, catalytic
reactors, settling tanks, pneumatic conveying of solids, among others. Obviously, in
industrial operations the drag rule is not simple as a single sphere settling in a stationary
fluid. However, this knowledge indicates how drag behaves in more complex systems,
which are designed and studied by engineers applying empirical and more sophisticated
tools.
 For example, Settling tanks are used for separating solids and/or oil from another liquid.
In food processing, the vegetable is crushed and placed inside of a settling tank with
water. The oil floats to the top of the water then is collected. In water and waste water
treatment a flocculant is often added prior to settling to form larger particles that settle out
quickly in a settling tank or an inclined plate settler, leaving the water with a
lower turbidity.
 In winemaking, the French term for this process is débourbage. This step usually occurs
in white wine production before the start of fermentation.[4]
 Settleable solids analysis[edit]
 Settleable solids are the particulates that settle out of a still fluid. Settleable solids can
be quantified for a suspension using an Imhoff cone. The standard Imhoff cone of
transparent glass or plastic holds one liter of liquid and has calibrated markings to
measure the volume of solids accumulated in the bottom of the conical container after
settling for one hour. A standardized Imhoff cone procedure is commonly used to
measure suspended solids in wastewater or stormwater runoff. The simplicity of the
method makes it popular for estimating water quality. To numerically gauge the stability
of suspended solids and predict agglomeration and sedimentation events, zeta
potential is commonly analyzed. This parameter indicates the electrostatic repulsion
between solid particles and can be used to predict whether aggregation and settling will
occur over time.
 The water sample to be measured should be representative of the total stream. Samples
are best collected from the discharge falling from a pipe or over a weir, because samples
skimmed from the top of a flowing channel may fail to capture larger, high-density solids
moving along the bottom of the channel. The sampling bucket is vigorously stirred to
uniformly re-suspend all collected solids immediately before pouring the volume required
to fill the cone. The filled cone is immediately placed in a stationary holding rack to allow
quiescent settling. The rack should be located away from heating sources, including
direct sunlight, which might cause currents within the cone from thermal density changes
of the liquid contents. After 45 minutes of settling, the cone is partially rotated about its
axis of symmetry just enough to dislodge any settled material adhering to the side of the
cone. Accumulated sediment is observed and measured fifteen minutes later, after one
hour of total settling time.[5]