Theoretical
A plate-and-frame press is one of the filter press designs in which square plates on a side are
placed alternately with open frames. These plates and frames sit vertically in a metal rack, with
cloth covering the face of each plate, and are squeezed tightly together by a screw. Slurry
enters at one end of the assembly of plates and frames, passing through a channel lengthwise
through one corner of the assembly. Auxiliary channels carry slurry from the main inlet channel
into each frame where in the solids are deposited on the cloth-covered down grooves or
corrugations in the plate faces, and out of the press.
Driving force:
The pressure difference across provides the driving force for the filtration or washing/drying
processes. The plate and frame filter is a batch operation which usually requires dismantling for
the recovery of solids at the end of the filtration cycle.
Objective
Determine the specific cake resistance and filter medium resistance in the filtration of aqueous
CaCO3 slurries with different concentrations performed at constant-pressure condition.
Procedure
1. Mix CaCO3 powder and tap water to make 20 liters of slurry which 10% by weight
CaCO3. Stir the slurry and pour into the slurry tank as quickly as possible.
2. Measure the dimensions of the frame and determine the filtering area.
3. Cover each face of every plate with a piece of filter cloth.
4. Tighten the screw to press the plates and frames tight.
5. Place a pail underneath the filtrate outlets. This pail should be mounted on a weighing
scale with a 30-kg capacity.
6. Switch-on the agitator and the filter press.
7. As soon as the first drop of filtrate falls from any of the filtrate outlets, start the time. For
every 400 g of filtrate collected record the time elapsed.
8. Regulate the recycle value to keep the desired constant-pressure. Record the pressure
every 30 seconds.
9. When the slurry tank is almost empty, pour about 1 gallon of tap water into it.
10. Switch-off the pump when the slurry tank is empty, and no more water comes out of the
filtrate outlets.
11. Hold an aluminum tray below the frames, loosen the screw, and carefully remove the
filter cakes from the frames. Make sure that the cakes retain their shape.
12. Dry the cake in the tray drier (or oven) for about 4 hours (or longer) at 100°C.
13. Measure the length, width, and thickness of the dry cake. Calculate its volume.
14. Repeat the experiment using 20 liters of 14% by weight CaCO3 slurry.
IFD
OR
