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Mechansims of Filtration
Mechansims of Filtration
Removal of solid particles from a fluid by passing the fluid through a filtering
medium, or septum.
MECHANSIMS OF FILTRATION
(a) Clarifiers
* The filter medium is relatively thin, compared with that of a clarifying filter.
* After the initial period, the cake of solids does the filtration, not the septum.
* A visible cake of appreciable thickness builds up on the surface and must be
periodically removed.
EQUIPMENT FOR CONVENTIONAL FILTRATION
(3) Vertical Leaf Filter and Candle Type Vertical Tank Filter:
* Have a relatively high filtration area per volume.
Require only a small floor area.
* Filter cake is formed on the external surface of the tubes.
* The tubes are cleaned by backwashing.
* Fermentation beers and other biological solutions are notoriously hard to filter,
because of: (1) high, non-newtonian viscosity, and (2) highly compressible filter
cakes.
A. Heating
* Types of coagulants:
(1) Simple electrolytes (such as ferric chloride, alum, or acids and bases)
(2) Synthetic polyelectrolytes
* The use of filter-aid is mainly for removing small amounts of unwanted particulate
material.
It cannot deal with large quantities of precipitate successfully.
Darcy’s law—relate the flow rate through a porous bed of solids to the pressure drop
causing that flow.
kP
v
where v = velocity of the liquid
P = pressure drop across the bed of thickness (P/ = pressure gradient)
= viscosity of the liquid
k = permeability of the bed, a proportionality constant (dimension: L2)
The basic differential equation for filtration at constant pressure drop can thus
be obtained as:
1 dV P
A dt ( R M RC )
Incompressible Cakes
1 dV P 1 dV P
(I.C.: t = 0, V = 0)
A dt ( R M RC ) A dt [ 0 (V / A) R M ]
Integration:
At 0 V R M V
K B
V 2P A P A
0 R M
where K and B
2P P
0 V
2
t
2P A
[Example] A suspension containing 225 g of carbonyl iron powder, Grade E, per
liter of a solution of 0.01 N NaOH is to be filtered, using a leaf filter. Estimate the
size (area) of the filter needed to obtain 100 lb of dry cake in 1 h of filtration at a
constant pressure drop of 20 psi. The cake is incompressible. The specific cake
resistance is 1011 ft/lb. The resistance of the medium is taken as 0.1 in1.
At 0 V R M
Solution:
V 2P A P
mass of cake solid 225 g 28.32 L lb
0 14.0 lb/ft 3
volume of filtrate L ft 3
453.6 g
100 lb
V volume of filtrate 3
7.1 ft 3
14.0 lb/ft
t = filtration time = 1 h
2.116 10 3 lb f /ft 2 lb - ft (3600) 2 s 2
P 20 psi 32 . 2 2 2 = 1.2 1012 lb/ft-h2
14.7 psi lb f - s h
= specific cake resistance = 1011 ft/lb
RM = resistance of the medium = 0.1 in1 = 1.2 ft1
= viscosity of the liquid = 1 cp = 2.42 lb/ft-h (assumed)
At 0 V R M
Solution:
V 2P A P
Known data of V versus t.
30.48 2 cm 2
A = 0.1 ft2 2
2
= 92.9 cm = 0.00929 m
2
ft
0.01 g/cm - s
= 1.1 cp = 0.011 g/cm-s
1 cp
1.01 10 6 dyne/cm 2 g - cm
P = 20 in Hg 2
= 6.77 105 g/cm-s2
29.92 in Hg dyne - s
0 = 0.015 kg/L = 0.015 g/cm
3
At V 0 R M
Plot versus , slope = and intercept = .
V A 2P P
Intercept = 0 RM = 0
s - m4 s
Slope = 0.29 2
= 29
L cm 2
0.011 0.015
29
2 6.77 10 5
= 2.34 1011 cm/g
[Example] We have filtered a slurry of sitosterol at constant pressure through a
filtration medium consisting of a screen support mounted across the end of a Pyrex
pipe. We find that the resistance of the filtration medium is negligible. We also
find the following data in a laboratory test:
On the basis of this laboratory test, predict the number of frames (30 in 30 in 1 in
thick) needed for a plate-and-frame press. Estimate the time required for filtering a
63 kg batch of steroid. In these calculations, assume that the feed pump will deliver
10 psi and that the filtrate from the press must be raised against the equivalent of 15 ft
head.
Solution:
62 g
Cake density 3
0.245 g/cm 3
253.3 cm
63 10 3 g
Cake volume of 63 kg steroid = 2.57 105 cm 3
0.245 g/cm 3
2.57 105 cm 3 in
3
t or t
2 P A 2 P 0 A
2
62 g
In the laboratory test: 163 min
2 (15 psi) 0 2
(5.08 cm)
4
min - psi - cm 4
261
2 0 g2
When values of s are high, one should consider pretreating the feed with filter
aids.
[Example] Filtration of Beer Containing Protease. We have a suspension of
Bacillus subtilis fermented to produce the enzyme protease. To separate the
biomass, we have added 1.3 times the biomass of a Celatom filter aid, yielding a beer
containing 3.6 wt% solid, with a viscosity of 6.6 cp. With a Buchner funnel 5 cm in
diameter attached to an aspirator, we have found that we can filter 100 cm3 of this
beer in 24 min. However, previous studies with this type of beer have had a
compressible cake with s equal to 2/3.
We now need to filter 3000 L of this material in a pilot plant’s plate-and-frame
press. This press has 15 frames, each of area 3520 cm2. The spacing between
these frames can be made large, so that we can filter all the beer in one single run.
The resistance of the filter medium is much smaller than the filter cake, and the total
pressure drop that can be used is 65 psi. How long will it take to filter this beer at
50 psi?
Solution:
0 V
2
Negligible RM t
2P A
' 0 V
2
Pilot-plant operation:
V = 3000 L = 3 106 cm3
A = 15 2 3520 cm2 (Filtration occurs on both sides of the frame.)
2
' 0 V 4.53 3 106
2
Cake Formation
For compressible cake and negligible medium resistance,
2
' 0 V ' 0 V f
2
t or t f
2 P 1 s A 2P 1 s A
Cake Washing
Two factors involved in the stage of cake washing:
(1) The fraction of soluble material remained after the wash
Governing the volume of wash liquid required.
(2) The rate of wash liquid passes through the cake
Controlling the fraction of cycle time for cake washing.
An empirical equation for the fraction of soluble material remained:
r (1 ) n
where r = ratio of soluble material remained after the wash to that originally
present in the cake
n = volume of wash liquid divided by the volume of retained liquid
= washing efficiency of the cake
The wash liquid contains no additional solids.
(1) The cake thickness is constant.
The flow of wash liquid is constant.
(2) Wash rate = filtration rate at the end of cake formation
1 dVw Vw
Wash rate
A dt At w
where Vw = volume of wash water required, and tw = time required for washing.
1 dV
Filtration rate at the end of cake formation =
A dt t t f
1/ 2
' 0 V V 2( P )1 s t
2
t or
2P1 s A A ' 0
1/ 2
1 dV d V ( P )1 s
Wash rate
A dt t t f dt A t t f 2 ' 0 t f
1/ 2
V ( P )1 s
w
At w 2 ' 0 t f
A useful expression:
1/ 2 1/ 2
Vw ( P )1 s Vf 2( P )1 s
,
At w 2 ' 0 t f At f ' 0 t f
V 2 ' 0 t f V f ' 0 t f
1/ 2 1/ 2
tw w and t f
A ( P )1 s A 2( P )1 s
tw V V V
2 w 2 w r 2nf
tf Vf Vr V f
where Vr = volume of liquid retained, and f = ratio of the volume of retained liquid to
the volume of filtrate.
[Example] It is desired to filter a cell broth at a rate of 2000 L/h on a rotary vacuum
filter at a vacuum pressure of 70 kPa. The cycle time for the drum is 60 s, and the
cake formation time is 15 s. The broth to be filtered has a viscosity of 2.0 cp and a
cake solid per volume of filtrate of 10 g/L. From laboratory tests, the specific cake
resistance has been determined to be 9 1010 cm/g. Determine the area of the filter
that is required.
Solution:
0V f2
2
0 V f
For incompressible cake, t f or A 2
2 P A 2t f P
g
2 cp 0.02
cm - s
cm
9 1010
g
g g
0 10 10 10 3
L cm 3
cm 3 h
V f 2000 10 3 (15 s) 8333 cm 3
h 3600 s
N kg - m 1000 g m g
P 70 kPa 70 10 3 2 2 7.0 105
m N - s kg 100 cm cm - s 2
tw
(b) 2nf and r (1 ) n
tf
Mass balance for the solids: 0V C ( R02 Rc2 )h (where c = cake density)
dV c h dR 2h ( R02 R12 )
Q (2 Rc ) c
dt 0 dt 0 ln( R0 / Rc )
dRc 2 ( R02 R12 ) 1
dt 2 c Rc ln( R0 / Rc )
I. C.: t = 0, Rc = R0
c Rc2 R
2
R
t 0 1 2 ln 0
2 2 ( R02 R12 ) Rc Rc
This is the desired result to find the time needed for obtaining a
cake of thickness (R0 Rc).
0 V
2
We want to use this experiment to estimate the time to filter 1,600 liters of this
slurry through a centrifugal filter. The filter has a basket of 51 cm radius and 45 cm
height. It rotates at 530 rpm. When it is spinning, the liquid and cake together are
5.5 cm thick. How long will this filtration take?
Solution:
0 V
2
V = 250 cm3
A = 8.3 cm2
(0.016 ) 250
2
c Rc2 R
2
R
Using centrifugal filtration, t 0 1 2 ln 0
2 ( R0 R1 ) Rc
2 2 2
Rc
= 2.67 108 s1
c = 1.09 g/cm3
= 1.0 g/cm3
= 530 rpm = 55.47 s1
R0 = 51 cm
R1 = 51 5.5 = 45.5 cm
Mass balance for solids: 0V c ( R02 Rc2 )h
(0.016)(1,600 103) = (1.09)[(51)2 Rc2](45) Rc = 49.3 cm
( 2.67 108 )(1.09)( 49.3) 2 51 51
2