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SEDIMENTATION The separation or concentrations of dilute slurry by gravity settling, into a clear fluid and a slurry of higher solid

content is called sedimentation. It uses gravitational forces to separate particulate material from fluid streams and it is one of the most important large-scale processes used in industries. Sedimentation is utilized in food, mining, pulp and paper, plastic, cement and many other process industries. The field may be divided into functional operations of: Thickening -- the primary purpose of thickening is to increase the concentration of suspended solids in a feed stream Clarification -- involves the removal of small quantity of suspended particles and produce a clear effluent These two functions are similar and occur simultaneously, and the terminology merely makes a distinction between the primary processes results desired. Generally, thickener mechanisms are designed for the heavier-duty requirements imposed by a large quantity of concentrated pulp while clarifiers usually will include features that essentially complete suspended-solids removal. The mechanism of sedimentation deals with how solids settle from slurries during batch sedimentation. Solids suspended in the fluid settle under their own weight until an equilibrium state has been achieved and this may be best described by observation of what occurs during a batch sedimentation test as solids settle from a slurry in a glass cylinder. Batch Sedimentation This has been used in the laboratory for investigating the settling characteristics of suspensions since the 19th century. It generally involve placing a suspension in a vertical cylinder and recording the height of the interface between the settling solids and the clear-liquid over time. These are several stages in the settling of a flocculated suspension, and different zones are formed as sedimentation proceeds. The figure below shows a newly prepared slurry of uniform concentration of uniform solid particles throughout the cylinder. The following zones are formed as sedimentation proceeds: 1. Zone A - the first zone, this is a region of clear liquid 2. Zone B (the Hindered Settling Zone) - is a uniform concentration zone that has the same concentration and distribution as the initial concentration 3. Zone C (the Transition Zone) - is the boundary between the hindered settling

and the compression zones. It is a region of non-uniform concentration 4. Zone D (the Compression Zone) consists of networked solids At first, the solid is uniformly distributed in the liquid as shown in the figure with ZO, as the total depth of the suspension. After a short time, the solids have settled to give a zone of clear liquid, Zone A, and a Zone D of settled solids. Above Zone D is a transition layer, which is Zone C, in which the solids content varies from that in the original pulp to that in Zone D. In Zone B, the concentration is uniform and equal to the original concentration, since the settling rate is the same throughout this zone. As settling continues, the depths of Zone D and A increases. The depth of Zone C remains nearly constant and that of Zone B decreases. Eventually Zone B disappears and all the solids are in Zones C and D. Meanwhile, the gradual accumulation of solids puts stress on the material at the bottom, which compresses the solids in layer D. Finally, when the weight of the solids is balanced by the compressive strength of the flocs, the settling process stops. Rate of Sedimentation A typical plot of interface height (boundary between Zones A and B) vs. time shows that during the early stages of sedimentation, the velocity is constant. When Zone B disappears, the rate of settling starts to decrease and steadily drops until the ultimate height is reached. Slurries vary greatly in their settling rates and in the relative heights of various zones during settling The initial rate is a function of feed concentration, but in the late stages, the settling rate also depends on the initial height ZO, since compression effects are more important with the thickener sludge layers EQUIPMENTS FOR SEDIMENTATION Thickeners Standard vessels filled with suspension used in sedimentation A sedimentation unit that operates according to the principles of gravity settling Industrial sedimentation operations may be carried out batchwise or continuously. Batch thickeners - cylindrical tanks with opening for slurry feed and product draw- off OPERATION: The tank is filled with a dilute slurry, and the slurry is permitted to settle. After a desired period of time,

clear liquid is decanted until sludge appears in the draw-off. The sludge is removed from the tank through a bottom opening

Continuous thickeners - large in diameter, shallow-depth tanks with slowly revolving rakes for removing the sludge; its bottom may be flat or a shallow cone; typically 10-100 m in diameter and 2.5 to 3.5 m deep OPERATION: The slurry is fed at the center of the tank. Feed slurry, being denser than water, tends to flow downward until it reaches a zone of equal density. Then it moves radially outward at a constantly decreasing velocity, and the flow gradually divides between the downward-moving suspension and the upward-moving flow, allowing the solids to settle at the bottom of the tank. The clear liquor spills over the edge of the tank in a launder. The rake arms gently agitate the sludge and move it to the center of the tank. The same zone will be present in both thickeners, however, in the continuous thickener, once steady-state has been achieved (where the slurry feed per unit time to the thickener is equal to the rate of sludge and clear liquor removal) the heights of each zone present in a continuous thickener will be constant.

replaced by a much stronger centrifugal forces and the settling or separation of particles from a fluid by centrifugal forces acting on it is called centrifugal settling. This has greater effectiveness with fine drops and particles and obtains much smaller size for a given capacity.
1: Product feed 2: Disc stack 3: Separating disc 4: Concentrate chamber 5: Nozzles 6: Centripetal pump for light phase 7: Discharge of light phase 8: Centripetal pump for medium phase 9: Discharge of medium phase 10: Feed for wash water or concentrate recycle

For a much higher capacity per unit floor area of operation the following equipment is used: Multiple-tray thickener - consists of several shallow settling zones, one above the other in a cylindrical tank; rake or scraper agitator move the settled sludge downward from one tray to the next; multistage countercurrent displacement washing is possible in this device Basic Components of a Thickener: 1. Tank - to contain the slurry 2. Feed piping and a feedwell - to allow the feed stream to enter the tank 3. A rake mechanism - to assist in moving the concentrated solids to the withdrawal points 4. An underflow solids-withdrawal system 5. An overflow launder CENTRIFUGAL SETTLING PROCESSES To increase the settling rate of sedimentation, the force of gravity may be

1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:

Product feed Disc stack Separating disc Concentrate chamber Nozzles Centripetal pump for light phase

7: Discharge of light phase 8: Centripetal pump for medium phase 9: Discharge of medium phase 10: Feed for wash water or concentrate recycle

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