Module 6 – BCHE301L

Filtration
 Syllabus
• Principles of Cake Filtration- Constant Pressure
Filtration - Constant Rate Filtration -
• Compressible and Incompressible Filter Cakes -
Specific Cake Resistance - Filter Medium
Resistance
• Continuous Filtration – Principles of Centrifugal
Filtration - Washing of Filter Cake
• Filtration Equipment – Plate and frame filter Press
- Leaf Filter- Rotary drum filter -
• Filter Media - Filter Aids.
 Filtration definition
• A process in which solids are separated from a
fluid by passing the suspension through a porous
medium (filter medium) that is permeable only to
the fluid.
• Volume of filtrate collected per unit time is termed as
rate of filtration.
𝒅𝑽
𝒅𝒕
• As filtration continues: particles accumulate on the
filter medium; forming a layer of solids on the surface
called as filter cake.
 Classification of Filtration equipment's
Classification

Mechanical
Objective Operation cycle Driving force Nature of solids
arrangement

Desired product Filter cloth in

Batch Gravity Compressible
– filter cake series

Desired product Filter leaves

– clarified Continuous Vacuum dipped Incompressible
filtrate individually

Pressure Rotating drum

Centrifugal
force
 Factor for selecting filtration equipment
• Properties of the fluid - viscosity, density,
corrosive nature
• Nature of solids – size, shape, size distribution,
packing characteristics
• Concentration of solids in slurry
• Quality of material and value
• Whether valuable product is solid, liquid or both
• Requirement of washing of filtered solids
• Whether feed liquor preheating required
 A batch filtration cycle
• Filtration
• Draining the liquid
• Filling with wash water
• Washing
• Draining the wash water
• Opening, dumping and reassembling
• Filling with slurry
 Factors affecting rate of filtration
• Pressure drop
• Area of filtering surface
• Viscosity of filtrate
• Resistance offered by filter cake (α)
• Resistance offered by filter medium (Rm)
 Filter media requirements
• It must retain solid
• Must not plug
• Must be chemically inert and mechanically stable
• Must permit easy cleaning and easy discharge
• Must be cheap
 Batch filtration
• The pressure drop depends on the two phases through
which filtrate passes. These are filter cake and filter
medium. So, the pressure drop is a function of cake
characteristics like specific surface area and porosity
and medium characteristics.
• The total pressure drop (–ΔP) is the summation of
pressure drop across the cake (–ΔPc) and pressure drop
across the medium (–ΔPm).
(−∆𝑃) = (−∆𝑃𝑐) + (−∆𝑃𝑚)
• The negative sign indicates the pressure drop from high
to low values.
 Filtration capacity
• Filtration capacity is the ratio of filtrate
volume and the time of filtration cycle.
• The total filtration time is the addition of
filtration time, washing time and transition
time for assembling, adjustment of filter etc.
𝑉 𝑉
𝐹𝐶 = =
𝑡𝐶 𝑡 + 𝑡𝑤 + 𝑡𝑟
Where, t, tw and tr are filtration time,
washing time and transition time respectively
 Filter cake resistance
The cake formed upstream contains pore spaces which
form tiny channels through which filtrate can able to
pass. Therefore, cake acts as a packed bed. Assuming
the flow of filtrate inside the cake is in laminar region,
we can express the flow by Poiseuille’s equation.
• Let, the thickness of cake is L m, the filter
cross sectional area is A m2, the velocity of
filtrate is v m/s.
• The pressure drop per unit length of cake is
given by Poiseuille’s equation as shown below

Where, D is the diameter of small channel

and μ is the viscosity of filtrate
• Carman-Kozeny relation is similar to the previous
equation for laminar flow in packed bed. The
equation is as shown below

Where, 𝑘′ is a constant whose value is 4.17

for random particles of definite size and shape, 𝜀 is
void fraction or porosity of cake and So is the
specific surface area of particles per volume of solid
particles.
• The velocity of filtrate can be expressed as
𝑑𝑉
𝑣 = 𝑑𝑡 𝐴
Where, 𝑑𝑉/𝑑𝑡 is the flow rate of filtrate with t as
time of filtration, A is the filter area.
Substituting the value of velocity in Kozeny
Karmen equation we get
Eq 1
• Doing a material balance in the cake section,
we get
c𝑠(𝑉 + 𝜀𝐿𝐴) = 𝐿𝐴(1 − 𝜀)𝜌𝑝 ------------(2)
Where, 𝑐S is the specific mass in kg solid/m3 of filtrate
and 𝜌𝑝 is the particle density in kg/m3 solid.
Eliminating L from equation (1) by substituting
equation (2) we get;

Where, 𝛼 is the specific cake resistance in m/kg.

 Filter medium resistance
• The resistance offered to the filtrate flow by the
medium is called filter medium resistance. The same
filtrate which passes through the cake has to pass
through the medium. So, an analogy can be built
with cake resistance and application of Carmann-
Kozeny equation proves to be valid.
• The filtrate flow through medium would be

• Where, 𝑅𝑚 is the filter medium resistance in m-1 .

 FILTRATION
• Separation of solids from liquids by passing a suspension through a
permeable medium which retains the particles
Filter cake
Filter medium

Slurry Filtrate
flow

• a pressure drop has to be applied across the medium (screen/cloth)

• fluid flow through small holes of a screen/cloth
• retains the large solid particles as a separate phase (porous cake)
• passes the clear filtrate
• porous filter cake acts as a filter for the suspended particles
• flow resistance increases as filter medium becomes clogged or cake builds
up
 FILTRATION

• The valuable product may be:

- the clear filtrate from the filtration or
- the solid cake ( solid particles build up)
• essentially a mechanical operation
• less demanding in energy than evaporation or drying
• Used to remove solid particles from or to :
1) Clarify juices
2) Extracts
3) Vegetable and fish oils.
4) Fermented beverages.
5) Recirculated cooking oil
6) Flume water, milk, and soy milk.
7) Separate potato starch from potato fruit water,
8) High-melting fats from vegetable oils in fractionation processes.
9) Crystals from mother liquors.
10) Chemically precipitated impurities.
 PRINCIPLE OF FILTRATION

• The cake gradually builds up on the medium and the resistance

to flow progressively increases.
• During the initial period of flow, particles are deposited in the
surface layers of the cloth to form the true filtering medium.
• The most important factors that influence the
rate of filtration are:

(a) The drop in pressure from the feed to the far side of the
filter medium.
(b) The area of the filtering surface.
(c) The viscosity of the filtrate.
(d) The resistance of the filter cake.
(e) The resistance of the filter medium
and initial layers of cake.
 FILTRATION
As time passes during filtration, either
- the filtrate flow rate diminishes or
- pressure drop rises

Constant-pressure filtration
- pressure drop is held constant
- flow rate allowed to fall with time
Constant -rate filtration (less common)
- pressure drop is progressively increased
Liquid passes through 2 resistance in series:
- cake resistance (zero at start & increases with time)
- filter medium resistance (impt. during early stages of filtration)

during washing, both resistances are constant, and filter medium resistance is
usually negligible
 BASIC THEORY OF FILTRATION

Rate of filtration = driving force/resistance

dV  pA
dt cSV
 
where  Rm

A 

L = thickness of cake (m)
p = total pressure drop = pcake + pfilter medium (N/m2)
A = filter cross section area (m2)
 = specific cake resistance (m/kg)
 = viscosity of filtrate ( Pa.s)
cs = dry mass of cake deposited per unit volume of filtrate (kg
solids/m3 filtrate)
V = volume of filtrate (m3)
Rm = resistance of filter medium to filtrate flow (m-1)
 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION (BATCH)
dt  cs V   R  K V  B
dV A 2p Ap m p
 
Slope = Kp/2
Time of filtration: K pV
2
t  BV t/V (s/m3)
2 Intercept = B

K p   cs
where
 A 2p Filtration volume , V (m3)

B   Rm
Determination of constants in a constant-pressure filtration run

Ap t/V = (Kp/2)V + B  plot as a graph

p = total pressure drop = pcake + pfilter (N/m2)

A = filter cross section area (m2)
 = specific cake resistance (m/kg)
 = viscocity of filtrate ( Pa.s)
cs = dry mass of cake deposited per unit volume of filtrate (kg solids/m3 filtrate)
V = volume of filtrate (m3)
Rm = resistance of filter medium to filtrate flow (m-1)
 Example 1 ( lab scale)

Data for the laboratory filtration of CaCO3 slurry in water at 298.2 K are reported as
follows at a constant pressure (-∆p) of 338 kN/m2. The filter area of the plate and frame
press was A=0.0439 m2 and the slurry concentration was cs=23.47 kg/m3. Calculate the
constant α and Rm from the experimental data given, where t is time in s and V is filtrate
volume collected in m3.
 EXAMPLE 1 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION
CaCO3 slurry in water at 298.2K (25oC)  = ? m/kg
A = 0.0439 m2 Rm = ?m-1
cs = 23.47 kg solids/m3 filtrate
-ΔP = 338 kN/m2 K pV 2
Given: Solution: t  BV
2
t Kp
 V B
V 2



Kp/2 = 3.00 x 106 s/m6

B =6400 s/m3
 EXAMPLE 1 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION
CaCO3 slurry in water at 298.2K (25oC)  = ? m/kg
A = 0.0439 m2 Rm = ?m-1
cs = 23.47 kg solids/m3 filtrate
-ΔP = 338 kN/m2
Solution:
Kp/2 = 3.00 x 106 s/m6 Kp = 6.00 x 106 s/m6  cs
A 2 p
B =6400 s/m3   R
Ap m
From Appendix A.2-4:  = 8.937 x 10-4 Pa.s

Substituting all the known values,

Rm = 10.63 x 1010m-1

α = 1.863 x 1011 m/kg

 Example 2 (larger scale)

The same slurry used in Example 1 is to be filtered in a plate-and-frame press

having 20 frames and 0.873 m2 area per frame. The same pressure will be used in
constant pressure filtration. Assuming the same filter-cake properties and filter
cloth, calculate the time to recover 3.37 m3 filtrate
CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION (BATCH)

Plate and frame press (batch)

 EXAMPLE 2 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION
CaCO3 slurry in water at 298.2K (25oC)
A = 0.0439 m2
cs = 23.47 kg solids/m3 filtrate
-ΔP = 338 kN/m2
Plate-and-frame press having 20 frames (0.873 m2 per frame)
Time to recover 3.37 m3 filtrate = ?
Solution:
Kp = 6.00 x 106 s/m6   cs
A 2 p
B =6400 s/m3   Rm
Ap
From Appendix A.2-4:  = 8.937 x 10-4 Pa.s

Substituting all the known values plus the new area ( 20 x 0.873 = 17.46 m2),

Kp = 37.93 s/m6
B = 16.10 s/m3
K pV 2 37.93(3.37)2
t  BV  16.1(3.37)  269.7s
2 2
CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION (BATCH)

Plate and frame press (batch)

 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION (BATCH)

 dV  1
Washing of filter cake:
Leaf filter:   
 dt  f K pV f  B


Plate-&-frame filter: dV   1
 1
dt f 4 K pV f  B



Time of washing: t  washing liquid

rate of washing

where
 
dV 
 3/s)
dt f
  = rate of washing (m


Total cycle filter time = filtration time + washing time + cleaning time

Cleaning time - remove the cake, clean the filter, and reassemble the filter

Vf= total volume of filtrate for entire period at the end of filtration (m3)
 Example 3

At the end of the filtration cycle in previous example, a total filtrate

volume of 3.37 m3 is collected in a total time of 269.7 s. The cake
is to be washed by through-washing in the plate-and-frame press
using a volume of wash water equal to 10% of the filtrate volume.
Calculate the time of washing and the total filter cycle time if
cleaning the filter takes 20 min
 Example 3

At the end of the filtration cycle in previous example, a total filtrate

volume of 3.37 m3 is collected in a total time of 269.7 s. The cake
is to be washed by through-washing in the plate-and-frame press
using a volume of wash water equal to 10% of the filtrate volume.
Calculate the time of washing and the total filter cycle time if
cleaning the filter takes 20 min

Time of washing: t  washing liquid

rate of washing


Total cycle filter time = filtration time + washing time + cleaning time
 EXAMPLE 3 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION
V = 3.37 m3 filtrate filtration time 269.7s
Washing liquid = 10% filtrate volume m3 = 0.337 m3
Time washing = ?  Total filter cycle = ?
Cleaning time = 20 min
Solution: Kp = 37.93 s/m6
B = 16.10 s/m3
 
rate of washing (m3/s)= dV  
1 1
4 K pV f  B
 dt f

dV   1 
   1  1.737x103 m 3 /s
 dt f 4 37.93(3.37)16.1


0.337 194s
Time of washing, t  washing liquid 
 rate of washing 1.737x103
Total cycle filter time = filtration time + washing time + cleaning time

Substituting all the known values ,
Total cycle filter time = 269.7s + 194s + (20 x 60)s = 1663.7 s =27.73 min
CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION (BATCH)

Plate and frame press (batch)

 FILTRATION EQUIPMENTS

Cake accumulation and removal in batch mode

Filter funnel
Filter press
Leaf pressure filter
Vacuum leaf filter
Continuous cake accumulation and removal
Horizontal continuous filter
Rotary drum filter
 Depth filters
• Depth filter is one where the solids take the space of the
pores instead of forming cakes on the surface.
• Sand filter is a common type of depth filter used to purify
water.
• It is suitable for filtration of suspension with less solid
concentration. The sand is filled from the bottom in pattern
of decreasing size.
• Flocculants are usually added to water before filtration. The
filtration continues till the solid particles fill the sand pores.
Back washing is possible only when the suspended particles
are non-adhesive to the sand particles.
 Continuous rotary vacuum filter
• Continuous rotary vacuum filter consists of a cylindrical drum
rotated horizontally. It contains hollow tubes inside the drum that
lead to a central concentric pipe where vacuum is maintained. The
filtering medium is wrapped over the drum which is separated by
intermittent guide. The filtrate is sucked to the radial channels via
the medium. The cake collected on the surface of the medium is
scrapped away by a blade mounted at the end of the cycle.
• In vacuum filters, the pressure drop is limited to less than 100 kPa.
• For this reason the vacuum filters are not in the following cases.
– High viscous slurry
– Slurry containing small particles
– Rapid filtration process
 Centrifugal filter
• Centrifugal filter is basically a basket with perforated wall
rotated by a shaft connected centrally. The inner wall is
wrapped with filtering medium. When basket is rotated,
slurry is forced to move towards the wall. The filtrate thus
comes out from the perforated wall and collected in an outer
basket. The rate of filtration depends on the centrifugal force
applied to slurry and the suspended solids. In food processing
centrifugal separation is mostly adopted for separation of
sugar crystals from the mother liquor. Since, no pump is
required here, the operation cost is less compared to plate
and frame filter press.
ROTARY DRUM FILTER
 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION( CONTINUOUS)
Feed, filtrate & cake move at steady constant rates
Filter medium resistance = negligible i.e. B = 0
Time required for formation of cake:

t  Kp V 2

2
Flowrate of filtrate:
V W c X
 tc c
where S

tC= total cycle time

W = massflowrate of slurry (kg/s)
cX= slurry concentration in mass fraction
c X
cs = dry mass of cake deposited per unit volume of filtrate 
1mc X
 = density of filtrate (kg/m3)
m = mass ratio of wet cake to dry cake (kg wet cake/kg dry cake)

 CONSTANT PRESSURE FILTRATION( CONTINUOUS)

Filter medium resistance = negligible i.e. B = 0

Flowrate of filtrate per filter area:

 
1/ 2
V  2 f p





where Atc t cs 



 c

f = fraction of the cycle used for cake formation


In the rotary drum:
f = the fraction of submergence of the drum surface in the slurry

t  ftC  f where n = drum speed

n
Short cycle times and/or the filter medium resistance  large:

 
1/ 2
Rm /t c  R /t 2c s p f /t c 

t  ftC  K p
 V2  BV 
2 2

2 V  
 m c 

Atc c s
 EXAMPLE 4

EXAMPLE 4
A rotary drum filter having a 33 % submergence of the drum in the slurry is to be used
to filter aqueous CaCO3 slurry as given in Example 1 using a pressure drop of 67 kPa.
The solids concentration in the slurry is 0.191 kg solid/kg slurry and the filter cake is
such that the kg wet cake/kg dry cake = m = 2. The density and viscosity of the filtrate
can be assumed as those of water at 298.2 K.

Calculate the filter area needed to filter 0.778 kg slurry/s. The filter cycle time is 250 s.
The specific cake resistance can be represented

–ΔP is in Pa and α is m/kg

  (4.37x109 )P 0.3


 CONSTANT RATE FILTRATION
Early stages of filtration - resistance of cake = negligible
Slurry fed to the filter by a positive-displacement pump

For a constant rate (dV/dt) in m3/s:

 
cs dV  Rm dV 

p 
2
V    KV V C Slope = KV
A dt   A dt 


 -p(N/m ) 2

where KV is in N/m5 Intercept = C

C is in N/m2
Filtration volume , V (m3)
Cake is incompressible:
Determination of constants in a constant-rate filtration run
Pressure  as cake thickness  & volume of filtrate 
Total volume V: V  t dV
dt 
 c s dV 2  Rm dV 


Hence: p  

t 
   




A2  dt  


 A dt 

 CONSTANT RATE FILTRATION

Example 7

The filtration equation for filtration at a constant pressure of 38.7

psia ( 266.8 kPa) is

t/V = 6.10 x 10-5 V + 0.01

where t is in s, -ΔP in psia, and V in liters. The specific resistance of

the cake is independent of pressure. If the filtration is run at
constant rate of 10 liters/s, how long will it take to reach 50 psia?
 EXAMPLE 5
For a sludge filtered in a washing plate and frame, the
filtration equation V2 = kt holds good, where V is the
volume of filtrate obtained in time t. When the pressure
is constant, 30 m3 of filtrate is obtained in 10 hours.
(I) calculate the washing time if 3 m3 of wash water is
forced to the cake at the end of filtration.
(Ii) if the filtering area is doubled keeping all other things
constant, how long it would take to obtain 30 m3 of
filtrate. Consider the rate of washing is one-fourth of final
rate of filtration
 EXAMPLE 6
Laboratory filtrations are conducted at constant pressure drop on a slurry of
calcium carbonate in water gave the data shown in table. The filter area
440 cm2, the mass of solid per unit volume of filtrate was 23.5 g/l and the
temperature was 25 C. Evaluate specific cake resistance and filter medium
resistance as a function of pressure drop and fit an emperical equation to
the results for specific cake resistance.
 EXAMPLE 7

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 grams of dry
cake in 1 h of filtration at a constant pressure drop of
100 mm Hg. The cake is incompressible. The specific
cake resistance is 0.256 m3/kg. The resistance of the
medium is taken as 0.254 cm-1.
 Filter medium
• It should retain the solids to be filtered, giving a
reasonably clear filtrate
• It should not plug or blind
• It should be mechanically strong
• It should be resistant to corrosive action of fluid
• It should offer as little resistance as possible to the
flow of filtrate
• It should possess ability to discharge cake easily
and cleanly
• It should have acceptable resistance to mechanical
wear
• It should be cheap
• It should have long life
 Filter aids
• Filtration of slurries containing very finely divided solids,
deformable flocs is very difficult due to formation of dense,
impermeable cake that quickly plug the filter media.
• In such cases, porosity of cakes must be increased to
allow passage of filtrate at a reasonable rate. This is
achieved by adding filter aid to the slurry before filtration.
• A filter aid is a granular or fibrous material which packs to
form a bed of very high voidage.
• A filter aid should have low bulk density, should be porous,
capable of forming a porous cake and must be chemically
inert to filtrate.
 Factors affecting rate of filtration

• Pressure drop across feed inlet and far

side of filter medium
• Area of the filtering surface
• Viscosity of filtrate
• Filter medium resistance
• Specific cake resistance
 Factor for selecting filtration equipment

• Properties of the fluid - viscosity, density,

corrosive nature
• Nature of solids – size, shape, size distribution,
packing characteristics
• Concentration of solids in slurry
• Quality of material and value
• Whether valuable product is solid, liquid or
both
• Requirement of washing of filtered solids
• Whether feed liquor preheating required
Horizontal tank pressure leaf filter
Rotary Drum Filter