Particle size effects filtration

E. Particle size effects on sedimentation and filtration operations... 

Figure 8. Filter performance effects of suspended particle size and filtration time (influent concentration = 20 mgjh, particle density = 2.65 g/cm other filter parameters as indicated in Table I)...

A PVDF membrane filter has been shown to remove >10 particles of vims for vimses >50 nm independent of fluid type (8). Vimses smaller than 50 nm are not removed as efficientiy but are removed in a predictable manner which correlates to the vims particle size. The chemistry of the suspending fluid affects titer reduction for vimses <50 nm owing to other removal mechanisms, such as adsorption, coming into play. The effects of these other mechanisms can be minimized by using filtration conditions that minimize adsorption. 

Most surface waters contain varying amounts of suspended solids, including silt, clay, bacteria, and vimses and it is necessary to remove these before to distribution to the domestic or industrial consumer. Suspended soHds not only affect the acceptabiUty of the water but also interfere with disinfection. The principal treatment processes are sedimentation (qv) and filtration (qv). Sedimentation alone is rarely adequate for the clarification of turbid waters and is of htde or no value for the removal of such very fine particles as clay, bacteria, etc. Table 1 shows the effect of particle size on the sedimentation rate of a soHd having a specific gravity of 2.65 in water at 20°C. 

Based on the requirements of the separation, media of suitable pore size, particle size, and surface properties are selected as well as column dimensions and column material. In some cases a suitable combination of media type and column dimensions may be available as a prepacked column. In most cases, this is a more expensive alternative to preparing the column yourself but will provide a consistent quality as assured by the manufacturing and testing procedures of the vendor. The consistent quality may be critical in obtaining reproducible results and may thus be a cost-effective solution. Also, the fact that smaller particle-sized media are more difficult to pack and require special, and expensive, equipment has resulted in that gel filtration media of small particle size, e.g. smaller than 15 /zm, are predominantly supplied as prepacked columns. 

FIGURE 3 Effect of the amount of cholesterol on the particle size. Phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol liposomes were prepared by the octyl glucoside dilution technique. The begin concentration of the mixed micelles was 150 mM octyl glucoside and 10 mM phosphatidylcholine in 10 mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and 0.9% NaCl, pH 7.4. Dilution was performed with an automatic titration unit at a dilution rate (= dilution factor, relative to the initial volume, per unit of time) of 0.026 sec"l ( a and ) or 0.69 sec l ( and o). Mean diameters after dilution and ) and after filtration ( L and q) are repi sented. (Adapted from Jiskoot et al, 1986a.)... 

The need to separate solid and liquid phases is probably the most common phase separation requirement in the process industries, and a variety of techniques is used (Figure 10.9). Separation is effected by either the difference in density between the liquid and solids, using either gravity or centrifugal force, or, for filtration, depends on the particle size and shape. The most suitable technique to use will depend on the solids concentration and feed rate, as well as the size and nature of the solid particles. The range of application of various techniques and equipment, as a function of slurry concentration and particle size, is shown in Figure 10.10. 

Special baghouse filters are designed for high-efficiency filtration with a unique three-layer construction. The dust filtration is effective for a wide range of particle sizes. The layered design... 

Cross-flow filtration systems utilize high liquid axial velocities to generate shear at the liquid-membrane interface. Shear is necessary to maintain acceptable permeate fluxes, especially with concentrated catalyst slurries. The degree of catalyst deposition on the filter membrane or membrane fouling is a function of the shear stress at the surface and particle convection with the permeate flow.16 Membrane surface fouling also depends on many application-specific variables, such as particle size in the retentate, viscosity of the permeate, axial velocity, and the transmembrane pressure. All of these variables can influence the degree of deposition of particles within the filter membrane, and thus decrease the effective pore size of the membrane. 

It is advantageous to generate bubbles of micron-size when the particles to be floated are very small. The generation of such bubbles is almost impossible in conventional equipment which relies on mechanical means of breaking down the gas. If air, or another gas, is dissolved under pressure in the suspension before it is introduced into the cell, numerous microbubbles are formed when the pressure is reduced and these then attach themselves to the hydrophobic particles. Similar effects can be obtained by operating the cells under vacuum, or producing gas bubbles electrolytically. Dissolved and electro filtration are discussed later. 

There are two important effects due to particle sedimentation which may affect the rate of filtration. First, if the sediment particles are all settling at approximately the same rate, as is frequently the case in a concentrated suspension in which the particle size distribution is not very wide, a more rapid build-up of particles will occur on an... 

Water samples deserve some special attention despite of the apparent simplicity of their analysis. One reason is that, depending upon the source, water samples will have varying degrees of particulates. Most pollution surveys require filtration through a 0.45 M Millipore filter. In the event that filtration is omitted deliberately or unknowin gly, such particulates are entrained into the plasma, dissociated, and excited in the intense heat of the source. The efficiency of entrainment and nebulization depends on the specific nebulizer used, as well as the particle-size distribution. These in turn effect the degree of dissociation in the plasma. Thus, it is important to ensure that water samples are properly prepared. 

The dramatic changes in haze particle size seen with alterations in protein-to-polyphenol ratio in a model system, would, if this also occurs in real beverages, have profound effects on both sedimentation (e.g., cold maturation in a tank or centrifugation) and filtration operations. 

Collection on porous filter media is perhaps the most efficient means of particle removal. Aerosol filtration is an effective means of air purification, while at the same time it has been widely used for sampling airborne material for mass and chemical composition determination. A wide variety of filter media is available, ranging from fibrous mats of relatively inert material to porous membranes. Fibrous mats and model filter arrays appear microscopically as stacks of overlaid cylinders, where the cylinders may be smooth or rough. In contrast, the membrane media are plastic films with microscopic holes of nearly uniform size nuclepore filters, for example, are produced of sheets of polyester, and the holes are introduced by neutron bombardment. 

Powders vary dramatically in particle size on the basis of their origin. It is common for catalyst manufacturers to classify powders in order to assure users of consistency from batch to batch since suspension, settling rates, filtration, and performance in slurry-phase reactions are all dependent on particle size. The effect on suspension, settling rates, and filtration is obvious. However, factors that favor these are unfavorable for kinetics. For reactions controlled by transport rates from the bulk fluid to the surface of the catalyst, the overall reaction rate is a strong function of geometric surface area and thus is favored by small particles. Pore diffusion resistance is also minimized by smaller particles since reaction paths to active sites are smaller. The only mode of reaction control not influenced by particle size is for those reactions in which rate is controlled by reaction at active sites. Therefore, a compromise for optimum filtration and maximum reaction rates must be made. 

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