ADAMA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL, CHEMICAL AND
MATERIALS ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

 Contents

1. Introduction
2. Mechanism of filtration
3. Factors affecting rate of filtration
4. Filtration theory
5. Filter media and Filter aids
6. Type of filtration
7. Filtration equipment's
8. Applications of filtration
 FILTRATION
Introduction
• Settling does not remove all flocs so we need
further treatment. That further treatment is
Filtration .
• Filtration may be defined as the unit operation in
which the insoluble solid component of a solid–
liquid suspension is separated from the liquid
component by passing the suspension through a
porous barrier which retains the solid particles on
its upstream surface, or within its structure, or both.
The solid–liquid suspension is known as the feed
slurry or pre filt, the liquid component that passes
through the membrane is called the filtrate and the
barrier itself is referred to as the filter medium.
The separated solids are known as the filter cake, once
they form a detectable layer covering the upstream
surface of the medium. The flow of filtrate may be caused
by several means. Pressure and vacuum are two
conventional ways of driving the suspension across the
medium. Gravity and centrifugal forces may also be used
for suspension medium crossing. In general terms,
filtration theory applies to cases where cake buildup
occurs
Clarification: This term is applied when solid do not
exceed 1.0% and filtrate is the primary product

Filtration provides the additional opportunity for

separation of small flocs or particles
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 Basic Terminologies
Ultra-Filtration: Separation of intermicellar liquid from
solid by the use of pressure on a semi permeable
membrane.
Cake Filtration: If recovery of solid is desired, the process
is called cake filtration.
Feed or Slurry: The suspension of solid and liquid to be
filtered is known as the slurry or feed.
Filter Medium: The porous medium used to retain the
solids is described as the filter medium.
Filter Cake: The accumulation of solids on the filter is
referred to as the filter cake.
Filtrate: The clear liquid passing through the filter is the
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filtrate.
 Mechanism of filtration
The mechanism whereby particles are retained by a filter
is significant only in initial stages of filtration.
Straining: Similar to sieving, i.e., particles of larger size
can’t pass through smaller pore size of filter medium.
Impingement:Solids having the momentum move along
the path of streaming flow and strike (impinge) the filter
medium.Thus the solids are retained on thefiltermedium.
Entanglement:Particles become entwined (entangled) in
the masses of fibres (of cloths with fine hairy surface or
porous felt) due to smaller size of particles than the pore
size. Thus solids are retained within filter medium.
Attractive forces:Solids are retained on the filter medium
as a result of attractive force between particles and filter
medium, as in case of electrostatic filtration.
Factors that affecting the rate of filtration

1. Area of filter surface.

2. Particle size of cake solids.
3. Pore size of filter media.
4. The resistant of the filter cake and filter media.
5. Viscosity of liquid to be filter.
6. Temperature.
7. Pressure difference across the filter.

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 Filtration Theory
In the initial stages of filtration the first particles of solid to
encounter the filter medium become enmeshed in it,
reducing its open surface area and increasing the resistance
it offers to the flow of the filtrate. As filtration proceeds a
layer of solids builds up on the upstream face of the
medium and this layer, or cake, increase in thickness with
time. Once formed, this cake in fact becomes the primary
filtering medium. Filtrate passing through the filter
encounters three types of resistance: a first resistance
offered by channels of the filter itself, a second one because
of the filter medium presence, and a third one due to the
filter cake.
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 The total pressure drop across the filter is equivalent
to the sum of the pressure drops resulting from these
three resistances. Usually, the pressure drop due to the
channels of the filter is neglected in calculations. If −ΔP
is the total pressure drop across the filter and −ΔPc and
−ΔPm the
pressure drops across the cake and medium
respectively, then:
−ΔP = − ΔPc − ΔPm
The pressure drop across the filter cake may be related
to the filtrate flow by the expression

……….eqn (1.1)

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where α is the specific resistance of the cake, μ is the
viscosity of filtrate, w is the mass of solids deposited on
the medium per unit volume of filtrate, V is the volume of
filtrate, and A is the filter area normal to the direction of
filtrate flow. Alpha, α, physically represents the pressure
drop necessary to give unit superficial velocity of filtrate
of unit viscosity through a cake containing unit mass of
solid per unit filter area. It is related to the properties of
the cake by
…………eqn(1.2)

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where k is a constant, ε is the porosity of the cake, S0 is
the specific surface area of the solid particles in the cake,
and ρs is the solids density. If a cake is composed of rigid
nondeformable solid particles α is independent of −ΔPc
and does not vary throughout the depth of the cake, and
is known as incompressible cake. However, if the cake
contains nonrigid, deformable solid particles or
agglomerates of particles the resistance to flow will
depend on the pressure drop and will vary throughout
the depth of the cake.

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In this case the cake is called compressible and an
average value of the specific resistance for the entire
cake must be used in Equation 1.1This average specific
resistance must be measured experimentally for any
particular slurry. By analogy with Equation 1.1 the filter
medium resistance may be defined by the following
Relation:

eqn……….(1.3)
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where Rm is a constant known as the filter medium
resistance. It is reasonable to assume that Rm is
constant during any filtration cycle and that it includes
the resistance to filtrate flow offered by the filter
channels. This being the case, Equations 1.0, 1.1, and
1.3 can be combined to give

……..eqn(1.4)

Equation 1.4 is a general expression for the filtrate

flow rate.
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 Constant Pressure Filtration

When the pressure drop is maintained constant,

Equation 1.4 may be integrated thus

…………eqn(1.5)

or, substituting limits and transposing for time t:

………….eqn(1.6)

Eqn 1.6 is a general expression for the filtration time

during constant pressure filtration.
In order to use it, values of α and Rm must be
determined experimentally. This can be done by
rewriting it in the following form:

……….1.7

……………1.8

…1.9
As can be gathered, Equation 1.7 represents a straight
line if dt/dV is plotted against V. Therefore, if a
constant pressure filtration is carried out and values
of V for different values of t are recorded, a graph of
dt/dV versus V can be constructed as shown in Figure
1.34. The slope of this line is K and the intercept on
the ordinate when V = 0 is B. Thus, by using a graph
resulting of plotting dt/dV vs V, values of α and Rm
can be directly determined from Equations 1.7 and
1.9,respectively.

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For incompressible cakes Equation 1.6 can be used
directly at different pressures. However, for
compressible cakes, the relationship between α and
−ΔP needs to be determined experimentally by
performing filtration runs at different constant
pressures. Empirical equations may be fitted to

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Figure 1.34 :Graph of results from a constant pressure filtration test.

Example 1.1
Table 10.9 presents data from a filtration run of slurry
containing 23.47 kg/ m3 of solids. The run was carried
out at a constant pressure of 338 kPa in a plate-and-
frame filter press with an effective filtration area of
0.0439 m2. Calculate the constants α and Rm.
Solution
From data in Table 1.10 values of Δt and ΔV are worked
out by progressive
differentiation. Using those values a column of Δt/ΔV is
derived and tabulated against a column of average
volume [(V1 + V2)/2]. From these data a second table
(Table 10.10) is obtained. From Table 10.10 a plot of
Δt/ΔV versus V will be constructed, as shown in Figure
19

1.35
Table 1.10
Example 1.1

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Table 1.11
Example 1.1

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The graph in Figure 1.35 is a straight line with a
correlation coefficient 0.997. The slope of such line (K)
is 6 × 106 s/m6, while the intercept with the y-axis (b)
is 6352.4 s/m3. Transposing for α and Rm from
Equations 1.8 and 1.9 respectively, the values of such
constants are calculated as

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Figure 1.35
Example 1.1
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 Filtration Media and Filter Aids
Filtration equipment is adapted with consumable
materials for every particular duty. The main
consumables in diverse filtration operations are the
filtering medium and the filter aids. The objective of filter
aid is to prevent the medium from becoming blocked
and to form an open, porous cake, hence, reducing the
resistance to flow of the filtrate. Filter aid forms a
surface deposit which screens out the solids and also
prevents the plugging of supporting filter medium. Filter
media are selected, primarily, in function of the pore size
that will be appropriate for retention of the solids in
suspension. Other important functions of the filtering
medium are the promotion of cake formation and the
support of cake once formed.
The medium should offer minimum resistance to flow
accordingly to the need of a rapid formation of the
filter cake. It must be strong enough to support the
cake and retain its strength under the extreme
conditions that may occur during operation
The surface characteristics of the filtering medium
should facilitate cake removal. It must be nontoxic and
chemically compatible with materials being filtered,
and also it should be cost effective. Filter media may
be rigid or flexible. Rigid media may be loose or
packed. Examples of loose rigid media are sand,
gravel, diatomaceous earths, and charcoal. Packed or
fixed rigid media include porous carbon, porcelain,
fused alumina, perforated metal plates, or rigid wire
mesh. Flexible media may comprise woven fabrics of
cotton, silk, wool, and jute.
Characteristics of filter aids:
• Chemically inert and free from impurities.
• Low specific gravity, so remain suspended in liquids.
• Porous rather than dense, so that pervious cake can
be formed.
• Recoverable.
Disadvantages:
•Remove the colored substances by absorbing them.
•Sometimes active principles such as alkaloids are
absorbed on filter aid.
•Rarely, filters are source of contamination such as
soluble iron salts, which can provoke degradation of
sensitive ingredient.
Table1.13 summarizes different filtering materials along with their main
features. Some other characteristics, such as the woven pattern and the
geometric dimensions of the fibers, are considered selection criteria and can
be presented in tabular form (Clark, 1990).
 Type of filtration
Surface/ screen filtration
•It is a screening action by
which pores or holes of
medium prevent the passage
of solids.
• Mechanism involved :
straining and impingement
• For this, plates with holes or
woven sieves are used.
•Efficacy is defined in terms
of mean or maximum pore
size.
Depth filtration
•In this slurry penetrates to a
point where the diameter of
solid particles is greater than
that of the tortuous void or
channel.
•Mechanism : Entanglement
The solids are retained with a
gradient density structure by
physical restriction or by
adsorption properties of
medium.
 Filtration equipment
Selection of method and equipment required for
filtration of a liquid depends on nature of the material
and quantity to be filtered as well as the object of the
operation.
FILTER FUNNEL
• Funnels are conical shaped devices.
• Made up of Glass, Aluminum, Polythene, Stainless
Steel or any other suitable material.
• Neutral Glass made funnel are most commonly used.
• White filter paper of suitable pore size is folded in
such a way that it fits in the funnel.
FILTER FUNNEL
 BUCHNER FUNNEL
• Made up of porcelain.
• It has a perforated plate.
• Used for filtration under reduced pressure.
 HOT WATER FUNNEL
• These are doubled wall funnels made up of metals.
• Viscous substances such as liquid paraffin, Glycerin,
Castor oil and fatty substances like wool fat, bees wax,
ointments and cream etc. are filtered easily from this
filter.
• Boiling water or steam is circulated in jacketed funnel.
SEITZ FILTER:
• Consists of two parts.
• Lower part fitted with a perforated plate over which
compressed asbestos pad is placed.
• Upper part has a value through which pressure can
be applied.
• Both parts joined together by winged nuts.
Advantages:
•No risk of contaminating the filtrate.
•Apparatus is very simple to use.
•For viscous solution they are more suitable.
Disadvantages:
•Asbestos may shed loose fibers.
•Pad may absorbs sufficient amount of medicament
FILTER PRESS:
• It consists of hollow frames and solid plates.
• Plates have grooved surface to support the filter
cloth.
• Each plate has an outlet for filtrate.
• Frames are opened with an inlet for the liquid to
be filtered.
Advantages:
• Construction is very simple.
• Used for coarse to fine filtration.
• Operation and maintenance is easy.
• Filter cloth can be easily replaced.
Disadvantages:
• Not economical for filtration of small quantities
• Leakage between the plates may take place
• Suitable when the slurry contain less than 5%
solids.
 Applications of filtration

Production of sterile products:

•HEPA filters or laminar air bench
•Membrane filters.
•Production of bulk drugs
•Production of liquid dosage
•Effluents and waste water treatment