Facts At Your Fingertips
Filter Aids
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins
C
ake filtration is a common op-
eration across many sectors
of the chemical process indus-
tries (CPI). In cake filtration, the solid
being filtered acts as a screen so that
particles of the suspension are re-
tained by the medium, resulting in the
formation of filter cakes.
In some cases, filtration can be
difficult if the material being filtered
is highly viscous, highly compact-
ible or deformable, or if the filter cake
formed in the filtration is very small or
highly resistant to flow. For such situ-
ations, the addition of filter-aid mate-
rial can greatly improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of the filtration.
Filter aids enable cake filtration to
be used for a larger group of sus-
pensions, including those with wider
particle-size distributions, larger sol-
id concentrations, and gel-like and
highly compactible particles. This
one-page reference provides infor-
mation on the properties of common
filter-aid materials and how they are
used in industrial filtration.
Filter aid function
Filter aids are inert particulate or fi-
brous materials that are introduced
into a filtration operation in one of
two ways as a filtration pretreat-
ment called precoat or by adding
filter aid to the liquid to be filtered,
referred to as bodyfeed.
Precoat. Filter aid precoat is added
to form a layer of a second filter medi-
um to protect the main product of the
filtration. In a typical precoat process,
the filter aid material would be sus-
pended at low concentrations (0.5%
is common) in a tank that is agitated
to maintain the filter aid in a slurry. Fil-
ter aid material is typically added at
rates of 5001,200 g/m2 (1025 lb/
ft2) of filter area. The precoat is formed
on the surface of the mesh screen
or cloth membrane by recirculating
the filter aid slurry through the filter.
The coarse particles deposit on the
screen (septum) first, followed by the
finer particles. This occurs until a thin
layer (typically 1.5-3.0 mm) of filter aid
forms on the filter septum.
Bodyfeed. Bodyfeed, also called ad-
28
FIGURE 1. Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized
remains of ancient micro-organisms
mix refers to the addition of filter aid
material to the liquid that is to be fil-
tered, either by adding it directly to the
tank of liquid to be filtered or by dos-
ing filter aid from a slurry tank into the
filter inlet. Bodyfeed filter aid is used to
improve the flowrate of difficult-to-filter
materials by increasing cake porosity
and permeability, and decreasing filter
cake compressibility. A basic objective
of filtration with bodyfeed filter aid is to
achieve the highest possible flowrate
that achieves the clarification of the liq-
uid that is required. The type of filter aid
and its grade (particle size distribution),
as well as the filter aid dosage depends
on the solids content and other vari-
ables specific to each application. In
general, a filter aid dosage of half of the
percent solids by weight in the suspen-
sion to be filtered is common.
Filter aid materials
Several materials can be used as
filter aids, including asbestos, cel-
lulose, agricultural fibers, saw dust,
rice-hull ash, paper fibers and oth-
ers. More common filter aid materi-
als include diatomaceous earth (DE),
perlite and cellulose.
Diatomaceous earth. DE (Figure 1)
is the silica-based fossilized remains
of ancient diatoms (single-celled or-
ganisms). DE can be mined from
ancient seabeds, processed, and
classified to make different grades
of filter aids. The smaller the filter-aid
particle size, the smaller the process
particles can be removed, but the fil-
tration rate is lower. The particle size
capture by various filter aids may
also vary because of liquid viscosity,
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Perlite Institute
FIGURE 2. Perlite is a glassy volcanic rock that
forms jagged particles after processing
surface charge, and so on.
Perlite. Another example of a com-
mon mineral filter aid is perlite (Fig-
ure 2). The inert perlite is a type of
naturally occurring, glassy volcanic
rock that forms particles with jag-
ged shapes upon processing. When
crushed and heated, perlite expands
explosively when water trapped in
the mineral structure vaporizes. Per-
lite can expand to about ten times its
original volume. After the expansion,
perlite forms jagged particles, which
interlock, and create microscopic
flow channels that allow filtrate to
travel through.
Cellulose. Cellulose is a fibrous, or-
ganic material that can be used as a
filter aid, and is used in filtration sys-
tems where silica-based materials
may not be compatible. The fibrous
structure of cellulose is designed to
adsorb sediment and fine particles.
The filterability of cellulose is poorer
than DE and perlite, but cellulose can
be incinerated, and can lead to filter
cakes that hold together more than
with other filter aids.
Filter aid selection
Preliminary laboratory tests can help
to identify the proper kind of filter
aid for a given application. First, the
chemical resistance and purity of the
filter aid material must be considered
for the liquid being filtered. Second,
the required grade (particle size) of the
filter aid should be determined. Third,
the quantity of filter aid needed for the
process should be calculated. A first
approximation of the quantity of filter
aid is one that results in a filter cake
volume that is equal to the volume of
material to be separated. n
NOVEMBER 2017