Clarification

The process of removing insoluble particles from liquids or gases by using a solid (filter media) is called clarification. To remove small amounts of solids or liquid droplets from either liquids or gases we use clarifying filters. The particles are trapped inside the filter medium or on its surfaces. Clarification differs from screening in that pores in the filter medium are larger than the particles to be removed.

Principle of Clarification:
Most often the separation is by impingement (collision) of the particles against a solid surface (filter media) placed in the flowing stream. The particles because of inertia are expected to cross the streamlines of the fluid and strike and stick to the filter media from which they can subsequently be removed. The principle of impingement separation is shown in the below Fig.

The solid lines are the streamlines passing around a sphere, and the dotted lines show the paths followed by the particles. Particles initially moving along the streamlines between A and B strike the solid and can be removed if they stick to the wall and are not reentrained. Particles initially following streamlines outside lines A and B do not strike the solid and cannot be removed from the gas stream by impingement. The target efficiency t is defined as the fraction of the particles in the gas stream directly approaching the separator element that strike the solid. The target efficiencies of ribbons, spheres, and cylinders are shown in the following fig.

Liquid Clarification:
Clarifying filters are used to separate liquid mixtures which contain only very small quantities of solids. When the solids are finely divided enough to be observed only as a haze, the filter which removes them is sometimes called a polishing generally contains no more than 0.10 percent solids, the size of which may vary widely (0.01 to 100 m). The filter usually produces no visible cake, sometimes because the amount of solids removed is so small, sometimes because the particles

are removed by being entrapped within rather than upon the filter medium. Compared with cake filters, clarifying filters are of minor importance to pure chemical-process work, their greatest use being in the fields of beverage and water polishing, pharmaceutical filtration, fuel- and lubricating-oil clarification, electroplating-solution conditioning, and dry-cleaning-solvent recovery. They are essential, however, to the processes of fiber spinning and film extrusion; the spinning solution or dope must be free of particles above a certain size to maintain product quality and to prevent the clogging of spinnerets. Most cake filters can be so operated as to function as clarifiers, although not necessarily with efficiency. On the other hand, a number of clarifying filters which can be used for no purpose other than clarifying or straining have been developed. In general, clarifying filters are less expensive than cake filters. Clarifying filters may be classified as disc and plate presses, cartridge clarifiers, precoat pressure filters, deepbed filters, and miscellaneous types.

Gas Clarification:
Filters for gas cleaning include pad filters for atmospheric dust and granular beds. Air is cleaned by passing it through pads of cellulose pulp, cotton, glass fiber, or metal screening. The pad material may be dry or coated with a viscous oil to act as a dust holder. For light duty the pads are disposable but in large scale gas cleaning they are frequently rinsed and recoated with oil.

A bag filter contains one or more large bags of thin woven fabric mounted inside a metal housing. Gas containing dust usually enters the bag at the bottom and passes outward leaving the dust behind.Periodically the flow is automatically cut off and clean gas is blown back or the bag mechanically shaken to dislodge the dust for recovery or disposal. In most cases bag filter ast as clarifiers with particles trapped within the fabric of the bag, but with havy loadings a thin but definite cake of dust is allowed to build upbefore it is discharged. In all these filters most of the separation is done by impingement as discussed above.

Role Of Clarifier:
Clarifying filters remove small amounts of solids to produce a clean gas or sparkling clear liquids such as beverages. The solid particles are trapped inside the filter medium as shown in the below Fig or on its external surface.

Clarifying filters differ from screens in that the pores of the filter medium are much larger in diameter than the particles to be removed. Clarifying filters may be classified as disc and plate presses, cartridge clarifiers, precoat pressure filters, deepbed filters, and miscellaneous types.

Applications:
Clarifying filters are used in: Beverage and water polishing. Pharmaceutical filtration. Fuel- and lubricating-oil clarification. Electroplating-solution conditioning. Dry-cleaning-solvent recovery. Fiber spinning and film extrusion.

References:
Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook (8th Edition) edited by Don W. Green and Robert H. Perry.

 Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering by McCabe-Smith-Harriott. Class Lecture.