Filtration and compression of organic materials

The conventional filtration theory has been based on filtrations of incompressible particles such as anatase, kaolin and clay. The filtration models have later been used for organic slurries but can often not explain the observed experimental data. At constant pressure, the filtrate volume does not increase in proportion with square root time when e.g. sewage sludge and manure are filtered. Different explanations have been suggested. However, organic slurries are complex mixtures and it is therefore difficult to evaluate the suggested explanations and develops new models. One possible solution is to use more simple systems. Dextran-MnO₂ particles and polystyrene particles with a water-swollen polyacrylic acid shell have therefore been synthesised. These particles have been filtered and used to study the non-linear filtration behaviour. The compressibility of the formed cake has been investigated and the discrepancy between the filtration theory and the observed filtration behaviour explained as a time-dependent collapse of the formed cake (creep). Thus, the creep phenomenon has been adopted in the conventional filtration models and it will be shown that the model can be used to simulate filtration data for complex mixtures e.g. sewage sludge.