Filtration of carbon black particles from tetralin through a bed of sand with simultaneous measurement of bed streaming potential shows that the charge on the filter and its neutralization by depositing colloidal particles plays an important role in filter performance. Filter capacities up to the point of charge neutralization, calculated from knowledge of the colloid and filter zeta potentials using a semitheoretical model for variation of filter surface charge characteristics. are found to be in good agreement with experimental values.
SCOPEThere has been a recent surge of interest in coal liquefaction processes for converting high sulfur coals to clean liquid fuels. Separation of the residual mineral matter and coal particles from the final product is a major problem in these processes. Conventional separation processes have not yielded the solution due to difficulties caused by the high viscosity of the liquid product and the fineness of the solids, a large fraction of which are submicron in size. Recently, suspended particles in coalderived liquids have been shown to carry a charge (Henry and Jacques, 1977; Rodgers, 1978; Lee et al., 1979). Asphaltenes and preasphaltenes in coal liquids have been found to affect the suspended particle size (Briggs et at., 1980), and Rodgers (1960) has related this phenomenon to the changes in particle charge caused by asphaltenes depositing on the particle surface. Lee et al. (1979) enhanced sedimentation rates by applying an electric field and also presented (Lee et al., 1980) a design of a cross-flow electrofilter which utilized the electrophoretic motion of the particle to prevent filter clogging. Thus, the charge residing on the residual mineral matter and the coal particles can be used to advantage in a number of separation processes.Deep bed, or granular media, filtration is a widely used separation process for economical and efficient removal of low concentrations of fine solids'from water. The need for improved filtration techniques for treating the products of coal liquefaction warrants a study of deep bed filtration with special emphasis on nonaqueous systems.Removal of colloidal particles in deep bed filtration is achieved by deposition onto the filter grains constituting the bed, The particles are transported to the filter grain (collector) surface by the mechanism of interception, sedimentation and Brownian diffusion. Whether or not the particle finally attaches itself to the collector surface depends on the net resultant of the short-range forces which are the attraction due to London-Van der Waal forces, and the force due to electrical double layer interactions. Repulsive double layer force between similarly charged particle and filter medium can be strong enough to prevent deposition. The extent to which the surface charges affect deposition rates is also determined by the distance to which their influence extends. By virtue of their low dielectric constant and low electrical conductivity, organic liquids have very thick interfacial double layers as compare...