UNIT - IV

FILTRATION

Concept, principle,
Mechanism, Filtration
Equipments
FILTRATION
Filtration is the removal of solid particles from a
fluid , by passing the fluid through a
filtering medium or
septum or
porous medium
which retains the solids and allows the liquids to
pass.

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FILTER MEDIUM
The filter medium may be
 Screen
 Cloth
 Membrane

The solid particles are trapped within or on the

pores of the filter medium to form a layer known
as cake
The liquid passing through the medium is called
filtrate

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FILTER MEDIUM
CHARACTERISTICS
Should retain the solids giving a clear filtrate
Should not plug or blind
Should be chemically resistant and mechanically
strong to withstand process conditions
Should be corrosion resistant
Should be able to discharge cake easily and cleanly
Should be cheap, long life, offer little resistance to
filtrate
Materials used:
For corrosive liquids : Canvas cloth, woolen cloth, metal
cloth,
Chemical resistant synthetic fabrics
Nylon (alkaline), Polypropylene (PP)(acidic), polyesters

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FILTER AIDS
Filter aid is added to increase the porosity of the
cake and to permit the liquor at a reasonable rate.
Diatomaceous silica, perlite, purified wood
cellulose are commonly used filter aids.
Methods of using filter aids
Adding a filter aid to the slurry before filtration
Precoating, i.e. by depositing a layer of filter aid
on the filter medium before filtration.

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IN A FILTRATION OPERATION
High (water
purification)
Volume of
suspension to be
handled

Very small (fine

chemical industry)

High

Proportions of
solids in
suspension

Low

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BASED ON DESIRED PRODUCT IN
FILTRATION

Fluid

Solid
Desired
product
Both

None Waste solids

separated from liquid
waste prior to
disposal

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BASED ON DRIVING FORCE

Gravity

Mechanical pressure

Driving force for

filtration
Vacuum pressure

Centrifugal force

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BASED ON OPERATING CYCLE

Batch Plate and Frame

filters,
Leaf filters
Operating cycle
Vacuum filters –
rotory drum
filters
Continuous

Centrifugal filters can be operated in batch as well as in continuous manner

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BASED ON MECHANISM OF
FILTRATION

Cake filtration

Mechanism of Deep bed filtration

filtration

Cross flow filtration

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MECHANISM OF FILTRATION
Cake filtration
When the proportions of solids in the suspension is large and
most of the solids are collected above the filter medium as a
cake
The cake can be removed from the filter medium
Eg.
Deep bed filtration
When the proportions of solids in the suspension is very small
and the particles are smaller than the pores of the filter medium,
the particles will penetrate a considerable depth and are trapped
within the filter medium.
No solids will appear on the surface of the medium
Eg. Water treatment, beverages

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Cross flow filtration
When the feed suspension flows under pressure at
a fairly high velocity across the filter medium
A thin layer of solids may form on the medium
High liquid velocity keeps the layer from building
up
Filter medium will be made of ceramic,
metal/polymer membrane with pores small enough
which excludes most of suspended particles.
Some liquid passes through a medium as clear
filtrate and more concentrated suspension is left
behind.
Eg. Ultrafiltration

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PRINCIPLE OF FILTRATION
• In cake filtration, the feed to be
handled is termed as slurry
Slurry

• The deposited solids on the filter

medium is called the cake
Cake

• The clear liquid leaving the filter

medium is termed as filtrate
Filtrate

 Initial filtration results in the formation of a layer of particulate solids on the surface of
septum
 During initial period of flow solid particles are trapped within the pores of a medium
forming the true filter medium
 The liquid passes through the bed of solids and through the filter medium
 Initially the rate of filtration is high
 As cake thickness increases, resistance of flow increases
 Rate of filtration decreases for a given pressure drop across the medium
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TYPES OF FILTRATION -
based on pressure drop across the filter
medium
Constant pressure
filtration

Filtration

Constant rate
filtration

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Filtration Equipments
CLASSIFICATION OF FILTRATION
EQUIPMENTS
Based on nature of filtration

Filters

Cake filters Clarifying filters Cross- flow filters

Feed of suspension
Remove large amount Remove small flows under pressure
of solid amounts of solids at fairly high velocity
across the filter
medium

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Dead End Filtration vs.
Cross Flow Filtration

Dead end Filtration Cross flow Filtration

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CLASSIFICATION OF FILTRATION
EQUIPMENTS
Based on application of external force:

Filters

Pressure filters Vacuum filters Centrifugal

filters

Leaf Filter Rotary drum Suspended

Plate and frame filter batch
filter press (Batch) centrifuge
(Continuous)

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PLATE AND FRAME FILTER PRESS

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CONSTRUCTION Feed in
Plates and frames are arranged alternately and supported on a Plate
pair of rails.
Plate - solid with ribbed surface; 6 to 50 mm thick
Frame - hollow; provides space for cake accumulation; 6 to
200 mm thick
Chambers are formed due to alternate arrangement of plates
and frames
Shape: square/ rectangle
Filtrate
Material: cast iron, stainless steel, nickel, aluminium, plastics
Filter cloths over both sides of each plate
Circular holes on corners of plates, frames, and filter cloth Cake
for feed and discharge
Press is closed using a hand screw or hydraulically; A
continuous channel is formed along the whole length of press

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ASSEMBLY OF PLATE AND FRAME
FILTER

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WORKING

Plate and frame Cake formation

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WORKING - Filtration operation
Slurry is pumped into the The thickness of the cake is
feed channel and passes The solid forms a filter cake half of the frame thickness,
through the filter medium and remain in the frame because on each side of
on the surface of the plate frame filtration occurs

As filtration proceeds, the The filtrate drains between Thus two filter cakes are
resistance of the cake the projections of the formed, which meet
increases and filtration rate surface of the plate and eventually in the centre of
decrease escape from the outlet the frame

Filtration is continued until no liquor

flows out, i.e. when frames are full
of solid and no slurry can enter
(jammed)

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WORKING - Washing operation
When washing of cake is also required modified plate and frame
filter is used.
For this purpose an additional channel is included called as
washing plate and are identified by 3 dots.
The sequence of arrangement of plates and frames can be
represented by dots as 1.2.3.2.1.2.3.2.1 so on (between 1 and 1,
2.3.2 must be arranged.

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PROCEDURE FOR WASHING THE
PRESS

• Filtration proceeds in the ordinary way until the frames are filled with cake.
Step 1

• To wash the filter cake, the outlets of washing plates are closed.
Step 2

• Wash water is pumped in the washing channel to remove soluble impurities

Step 3 • The water enters through the inlets on the surface of washing plate.

• Water passes through the filter cloth and enters frame which contains the cake.
• Then water washes the cake, passes through the filter cloth and enters the plate down the
Step 4 surface.

Step 5 • Finally washed water escapes through the outlet of that plate.

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Filtration vs. Washing
CAKE DISCHARGE
Water wash is efficient only if the frames are full with filter cake.
If the solid do not fill the frame completely, the wash water
causes the cake to break (on the washing plate side of the frame),
then washing will be less effective.
This helps not only in emptying the frames but also helps in
washing the cake correctly.

Cake is blown with steam or air to displace any residual liquid

Press is opened and cake of solids is removed from the filter
medium and dropped to a conveyor / storage bin

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ADVANTAGES
Simple construction
Low capital cost and maintenance cost
Large filter area per unit area of floor space
High operating pressures are easily developed
Capacity can be altered
Majority of joints are external, so easy detection of leakage

DISADVANTAGES
Batch filter - time consuming
Labour requirement is high
Discontinuous operation - periodic manual dismantling leads to high
wear in cloths
Not suited for high throughputs
Frequent dripping and leaking - cleaning
Imperfect washing of cake
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APPLICATIONS
Plate and frame filter press is widely used in
mining
metallurgy
petroleum
chemical
medicine
textile
printing
paper making
food
alcohol
inorganic salt
coal washing
dyeing and
sewage treatment industries.

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LEAF FILTER
Principle:
It is an apparatus consisting of a longitudinal drainage screen covered with a
filter cloth.
The mechanism is surface filtration and acts as sieve or strainer.
Vacuum or pressure can be applied to increase the rate of filtration.

Construction:
The leaf filter consists of a frame enclosing a drainage screen or grooved
plate.
The frame may be any shape circular, square or rectangular.
The whole unit is covered with filter cloth.
The outlet for the filtrate connects to the inside of the frame through suction.

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LEAF FILTER

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WORKING AND USES
Working:

Finally filtrate Air is passed

enters the to flow in
The filter leaf Vacuum The slurry drainage canal reverse
is immersed in system is passes through and goes direction
the slurry connected to the filter cloth through the which
the outlet outlet into facilitates
receiver removal of
cake

Use:
Used for the filtration of slurry which do not contain high solid
content, about 5%, i.e. dilute suspensions.

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ADVANTAGES
Simplest form of filter used for batch process.
A number of units can be connected in parallel to increase the
surface area of filtration.
High pressure filtration - Pressure difference can be obtained
either with vacuum or using pressure up to the order of 800
kilopascals.
Labour costs for operating the filter leaf are fairly moderate.
The efficiency of washing is high.
The slurry can be filtered from any vessel.
The cake can be washed simply by immersing the filter in a
vessel of water.

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DISADVANTAGES

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APPLICATIONS

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 ROTARY DRUM FILTER
Principle:
Slurry filtered through sieve like mechanism on the rotating drum
surface, under vacuum.
Filtration, washing, air drying of cake and cake discharge (using knife)
all in one cycle.
Construction:
It consists of a metal cylinder mounted horizontally.
The outer drum may be up to 3 meters in diameter and 3.5 meters in
length and gives surface area of 20 m2
The curved surface being a perforated plate, supports a filter cloth.
A second inner solid drum
Radial partitions between drums divide the annular space into
compartments; connected to a hole in the rotating valve

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ROTARY DRUM FILTER

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WORKING
The drum is dipped into the slurry and vacuum applied to the
rotary valve, which is connected to the filtrate receiver.
A layer of solids builds on the face of outer drum as the liquid is
drawn through the cloth into the compartment, internal pipe,
valve, and collecting tank
When the cake has formed, the cake is drained or partially dried
by vacuum.
The drum is sprayed with water to wash the cake.
Retaining the vacuum connection drains the cake and produces
partial dryness then, removed by a doctor knife.
Little air is blown to belly out the cloth; cake cracks away from
the cloth; now, knife does not scrape the drum face
After cake is dislodged, cycle is repeated - continuous operation

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ADVANTAGES
Less labour requirement
Large capacity
Changing speed to get cake of varying thickness

DISADVANTAGES
Not suited for impermeable cake
Vacuum equipment is costly

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APPLICATIONS
Rotary drum vacuum filters are used in
wastewater treatment
sludge dewatering
chemical manufacturing
pharmaceutical industry
cosmetics
mineral mining
refining and
food processing industries.

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ROTARY DRUM FILTER

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ROTARY DRUM FILTER

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