Energy-intensive techniques

The overriding consideration in the selection of drying equipment is the nature and concentration of the feed. Drying is an energy-intensive process, and the removal of liquid by thermal drying will be more costly than by mechanical separation techniques. 

A family of techniques has been developed for the formation and creation of the binder phase. In Fig. 9.2 only the most common method of impregnation and curing is shown with steps 7 10. There are alternative methods that partly deliver much higher quality products but they are far more complex and energy-intensive in their application. Figure 9.3 summarizes the main methodologies. 

Sustainability Materials may be from finite, rather than renewable, sources and may be used inefficiently. The techniques used to install them may be energy-intensive. 

Membrane operations have the potential to replace conventional energy-intensive separation techniques, such as distillation and evaporation, to accomplish the selective and efficient transport of specific components, to improve the performance of reactive processes and, ultimately, to provide reliable options for a sustainable industrial growth. 

Sedimentation. The principle of sedimentation is almost the same as centrifugation but under the influence of gravity only. Small particles settle at the bottom of settling tanks. This technique is not energy-intensive and is mainly used for waste streams containing both hquids and sohds that contain a low concentration of contaminated solid. 

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