A novel continuous process for the mechanical separation of very difficult-to-filter suspensions is the thin film filtration. Highly compressible materials build a thin layer of particles on the filter medium with a high porosity gradient. The first much more compressed cake layer reduces the filtrate flow drastically and the following filtration becomes less efficient. The thin film filtration technology is based on forming a thin filter cake and an immediate discharge of the filter after dewatering to maintain a high product throughput. However the discharge of the thin filter cake is still a challenge. Here we present a new method to discharge the thin filter cake using a roller. The experiments on the discharge behavior of the roller are carried out on a filter plate using yeast as a model material. As a result the discharge in an opposite direction of rotation removed the filter cake completely and even reduced the residual moisture without damaging the filter medium.
Fine-grained particle systems build up a highly consolidated and thin layer on the filter medium and cause a high filter cake resistance. The objective of the novel thin-film filtration process is an effective mechanical separation of these particle systems using membranes on a vacuum drum filter. The mechanical stability of the membrane is evaluated since a roller is required for the cake discharge and the filtration performance is compared with that of a commonly used filter cloth. Analyses reveal that the surface porosity is the crucial factor for the mechanical stability of the membrane. Furthermore, the filter cloth shows a higher filter media resistance than the membrane. A significant increase in the specific dry mass throughput and a particle-free filtrate could be achieved.
The cleaning effect of a high‐pressure jet of water on a polymeric microfiltration membrane was investigated at different pressures, durations, and angles. The angle of 70° at a pressure of 130 bar and a cleaning duration of 10 s were found to be promising parameters. Throughput measurements show that this cleaning method can restore about 80 % of the initial throughput of the membrane. Analyses by capillary flow porometer and UV‐vis spectrophotometer imply that an impact on the membrane was detectable after 1800 cleaning cycles at a pressure of 130 bar. Therefore, high‐pressure jet cleaning is a promising method for mechanical cleaning of track‐etched microfiltration membranes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.