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Compressibility of particulate structures in relation to thickening, filtration, and expression - a review

Conference · · Sep. Sci. Technol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6295899
Compressibility of cakes is basic to separation of solids from slurries. Cake compression is caused by collapsing, particulate structures in which particles are forced into existing voids. Stresses causing the collapse arise from unbuoyed weight of solids in thickeners, radial acceleration in centrifuges, frictional pressure drop in filters, and mechanical forces in press belts and membrane actuated filters. Compressibility is a function of particle size and shape and the degree of aggregation. Flow through very compressible cakes produces a highly non-uniform structure with a tight skin of low porosity next to the supporting medium. This skin leads to adverse effects in which increasing filter pressure has little effect on flow rate or average porosity. Similarly increasing the squeezing pressure indefinitely in expression has little effect upon the rate of removal of liquid.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Houston, TX
DOE Contract Number:
AS05-81ER10946
OSTI ID:
6295899
Report Number(s):
CONF-851011-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Sep. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Journal Volume: 22:2/3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English