2.

3 Particle Properties 31

Figure 2.21 Physical cut size of a filter

medium.

xsieve,t

Figure 2.22 Sharpness of cut. T(x)

1
0.75

0.5
0.25
x75,t
0 x
xmin x25,t xmax
x50,t

The pores of a filter medium are normally not circles and the particles are not
spheres. However, the largest sphere, which is able to penetrate the pore, can
define the largest pore. The largest particle can be defined for a convex geometry
by a circle around its smallest cross section (cf. Section 9.3.1).
Besides the cut size, the sharpness of cut 𝜅 is important for the quality of a
separation. It depends on the inclination of the grade efficiency function depicted
in Figure 2.22.
One standard definition given in Eq. (2.34) uses the ratio of x25,t and x75,t to
describe the sharpness of cut
x25,t
𝜅= (2.34)
x75,t
For different conditions of a fractionation process, the sharpness of cut exhibits
different values.
• Ideal fractionation: 𝜅 = 1
• Technical fractionations: 0.3 ≤ 𝜅 ≤ 0.6
• Sharp technical fractionations: 0.6 ≤ 𝜅 ≤ 0.8 and even
• Analytical fractionations: 0.8 ≤ 𝜅 ≤ 0.9.
Even for analytical fractionations, the sharpness of cut is not perfect because
of a certain probability of failures. If, in the case of a coincidence failure, two
particles instead of one are present in a measuring cell, both smaller particles are
handled as one greater particle.
However, other definitions such as the imperfection value I for hydrocyclones
in Eq. (2.35) are in use
x75,t − x25,t
I= (2.35)
2 ⋅ x50,t
There is no real physical reason for the different definitions, but only historical
traditions in different industrial sectors.
32 2 Slurry Characterization

2.4 Slurry
2.4.1 Solid Concentration
The solid concentration of slurry has under different aspects strong impact on the
cake filtration conditions. First of all, the particle concentration obviously influ-
ences the cake formation velocity. The greater the concentration, the faster the
filter cake will grow. As a consequence, the filter throughput increases, or for con-
stant feed volume rate, the filter area and thus the apparatus can become smaller.
Secondly, an increase of concentration above a critical value leads to improved
slurry homogeneity, if the particle size distribution is quite broad. Any slurry in
a filter apparatus is exposed to the gravity or centrifugal field and thus sedimen-
tation of the particles takes place. In some cases, such as drum, disc, or stirred
nutsche filters, a stirrer in the slurry can reduce or even overcome this problem.
In other cases such as belt or pan filters, unhindered sedimentation takes place in
the slurry above the horizontal filter area. Unfavorable segregation of the slurry
can be reduced or even avoided at greater concentrations because single particle
sedimentation switches to swarm or zone sedimentation and the average settling
velocity decreases. Swarm or zone sedimentation means that the particles are
hindering each other. Size, shape, and density of the particles lose their individual
influence on the settling velocity and a sharp front of settling particles is forming.
The critical concentration for the formation of such a sharp settling front depends
on the particles size, the mass forces acting on the particles, and the stability of
the slurry. The smaller the particles, the lower the forces on the particles are. The
more agglomerated the particles, the lower the critical concentration becomes.
The handling properties of identically concentrated slurries can vary remark-
ably depending on the particle size. Slurry of nanoscale particles with 10 vol%
solids seems to be a highly concentrated sludge or paste, whereby slurry of parti-
cles in the 100 μm range behaves as diluted slurry. Last but not least, the forma-
tion time of particle bridges over the meshes of the filter medium is decreased
for greater concentrations and thus less filtrate pollution will occur.
The slurry solid concentration can be expressed by different parameters,
which are often expressed in percent. To avoid serious mistakes, it is important
in any case to know how those percentages are calculated exactly. The infor-
mation about only percent is meaningless, if the definition of the respective
concentration is not known.
The solid mass concentration cm in Eq. (2.36) relates the solid mass to the total
mass of the slurry
ms
cm = (2.36)
ms + mL
The solid volume concentration cv in Eq. (2.37) relates the solid volume to the
total volume of the slurry
ms
𝜌s Vs
cv = ms mL = (2.37)
+ Vtot
𝜌s 𝜌L
 2.4 Slurry 33

Figure 2.23 Determination of the concentration

parameter 𝜅 in a lab tube.

Filtrate
A

hc
Cake

The slurry density 𝜌s,L in Eq. (2.38) relates the slurry mass to the slurry volume
m s + mL
𝜌s,L = ms mL (2.38)
𝜌s
+ 𝜌L

The concentration parameter 𝜅 in Eq. (2.39) relates the cake volume to the sep-
arated liquid volume (derivation in Section 6.3)
hc ⋅ A cv cv
𝜅= = = (2.39)
VL 1 − cv − 𝜀 1 − cv − VL
VL +Vs

This parameter is correlated with the solid volume concentration cv and the
cake porosity 𝜀, which represents the relative void volume in the cake and thus
the relative amount of liquid, if all voids are completely filled with liquid. This
especially for cake filtration used parameter is very easy to measure in a lab tube,
as shown schematically in Figure 2.23 or in a lab nutsche filter and correlates cake
thickness and filtrate volume.
All mentioned definitions of the slurry solid concentration could be transferred
according to Table 2.3 to each other.

2.4.2 Stability
The interaction between particles and dissolved ions in the liquid decides accord-
ing to Figure 2.24, whether the particles are existing separately from each other
(stable slurry) or agglomerate (instable slurry) by van der Waals adhesion forces
[10] (cf. Section 5.3).