CERAFIL PAPER INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCES WITH LOW DENSITY CERAMIC FILTER ELEMENTS

ABSTRACT Environmental legislation and the demands of process filtration duties have necessitated the development of effective barrier filter media that can operate under arduous conditions. There have been many interesting developments in recent years including needlefelts based on advanced polymers, treated fabrics, metallic filters and rigid ceramic filters. Low density ceramic filter elements were launched in the mid 80s and were initially applied to thermal soil cleaning duties. Since then the introduction and subsequent development of a range of monolithic elements has seen application to an increasing range of pollution abatement and product collection duties. Low density ceramic filter elements offer a number of significant benefits to the end user temperature resistance (refractoriness), corrosion resistance, high efficiency, the ability to operate under variable conditions and operational reliability. They have generally been applied to processes where the gas stream is at an elevated temperature and where low emissions from the filter plant are required. They are also particularly applicable to processes which generate fine (sub-micron) particulate which can be difficult to control efficiently and economically using established techniques such as the cyclone or electrostatic precipitator. Applications to date include coal processing, waste incineration, non-ferrous metal processing, chemicals manufacture, fluidised beds and thermal soil cleaning. Low density ceramic elements offer a viable particulate removal solution for a broad range of processes which can utilise the benefits of the technology. This paper highlights applications where the benefits of low density ceramic filter elements have been effectively employed. One such duty involves the collection of trace amounts of catalyst intermediate from a calcining furnace. Stable operation and low emissions are critical to the process and this level of performance has been demonstrated by the ceramic filter plant.

Madison Filter Ltd Cerafil Division The Stable Rock Farm Seckington Tamworth Staffordshire B79 0LA UK Phone: +44 (0)1827 839125 Fax: +44 (0)1827 839126 cerafil@madisonfilter.com www.cerafil.org

1 Introduction Gas filtration utilising low density ceramic filter elements is now an established and proven technology. Low density ceramic filter elements (hereafter ceramic elements) were first introduced in the mid 1980's in the form of candles fabricated from moulded sections. Ceramic elements, such as Cerafil, are now produced as monolithic shapes in a variety of sizes typically from 60mm outside diameter and 1 metre long up to 150mm outside diameter and 3 metres long. The larger sizes can be employed like fabric bags in new equipment and retrofitted into existing plant. 2 Characteristics and Benefits Ceramic elements are manufactured from mineral fibres which are bonded together with a combination of organic and inorganic binders. Elements are formed into a shape which incorporates an integral mounting flange resulting in a rigid, self supporting structure. Cerafil elements are manufactured in a way, akin to injection moulding, which gives consistently accurate manufacturing tolerances and physical properties from element to element. This manufacturing method also confers a tight external surface structure reducing penetration of fine particles into the body of the filter. The as-formed surface, which needs no finishing, encourages the development of a stable protective dust cake. The benefits to the end user of ceramic elements are summarised in the table belowFeatures Ceramic composition Rigid fibrous structure Cake filtration Oxide formulation Advantages Temperature resistance High filtration efficiency Negligible depth filtration Corrosion resistance Benefits High or variable temperature operation Resistance to temperature surges High capture efficiency/low emissions Adherence to authorisation limits Stable long term pressure drop Long life Resistant to acid and alkali species Longer life in aggressive environments

Cerafil takes the benefits of fabric bag filtration a stage further by offering excellent filtration efficiency coupled with the ability to operate at elevated temperatures. This latter benefit is utilised across a broad spectrum of industrial applications where there is a requirement to filter gases which are at a high or variable temperature or where temperature surges can occur. An Element Dust otherwise stable operation can suffer from temperature surges, which cake wall can be very damaging to conventional fabric media. When such events occur it is not jut the cost of the media which has to be taken into account; the costs associated with an unscheduled filter plant shutdown can also be high.
Direction of gas flow

High filtration efficiency is another key benefit associated with ceramic filter elements. This results from the development, during the early stages of operation, of a protective dust layer on the element surface which promotes cake filtration. Cake filtration is essential to long term performance of a barrier filter media. The rigidity of ceramic elements further promotes cake filtration since the protective dust layer is not compromised during cleaning. The combination of temperature resistance and filtration efficiency can be utilised by many industrial processes where these operational benefits are required in combination. Processes such as waste

Protective Dust layer

incineration and metal smelting emit an off gas stream which is variable in nature and also the subject of stringent emissions legislation. Process filtration and product recovery duties are also increasingly benefiting from the high particulate capture efficiency and temperature resistance of ceramic elements. 3 Ceramic Element Products Ceramic elements are available in a range of geometries to suit the requirements of the end user. The factors influencing element selection will include Gas volume to be filtered Whether new plant or retrofit Floor space/headroom available A listing of the principal Cerafil element geometries is shown in the table below. Flange Type T-section T-section T-section Conical T-section Conical T-section T-section T-section Overall Length mm Cerafil XS-1000 Cerafil XS-1250 Cerafil XS-1500 Cerafil XS-1530 Cerafil XS-1800 Cerafil XS-2250 Cerafil XS-2250T Cerafil XS-3000/125 Cerafil XS-3000 4 Application The application of ceramic elements is akin to that of conventional fabric filter bags. One key difference, however, is that a support cage is not required since ceramic elements are monolithic and incorporate an integral mounting flange. The cut away diagram shows a schematic of a typical element mounting system. Elements are inserted into the tubesheet with dust-tight sealing being effected by the clamping plate and sealing gasket. The clamping plate/tubesheet distance is set in order that the gasket is compressed to the correct amount to give effective sealing. Element cleaning is typically achieved using a reverse pulse system similar to that applied on fabric bag houses. The cleaning system is designed to deliver a sufficient detachment force to the dust cake and is tuned during operation in order to achieve optimum plant performance. 5 Ceramic Element Duties Ceramic elements are employed on duties where the benefits, described earlier, of the medium can be 1000 1250 1500 1530 1800 2250 2250 3000 3000 Nominal Usable O/D Area mm 60 60 60 150 150 145 150 125 150 m2 0.19 0.23 0.28 0.66 0.83 0.99 1.05 1.17 1.40

Product

effectively utilised. This is typically duties where high capture efficiency is required in combination with temperature resistance. However it is worthwhile stressing that ceramic elements are not simply a "hot gas filter". Although ceramic elements can be and are applied in high temperature filtration duties they are equally applicable where the filtration temperature regime is variable or subject to surges which could damage conventional fabric media. Ceramic elements are applied to air pollution control, product recovery and process filtration duties. This in turn can be as new purpose built plant or a retrofit of an existing filter plant. In the latter case the larger element sizes listed earlier are particularly applicable and the range of available sizes is increasing making plant retrofitting a viable proposition. Applications to date include Waste incineration Waste pyrolysis Secondary ferrous metals smelting Precious metal recovery Thermal soil remediation Fluidised bed metal cleaning Boiler plants Chemicals manufacturing Glass melting This listing is not exhaustive but highlights some of the key applications from the Madison Filter reference list of around 170 plants. 6 Development: Past, Present and Future Since its original launch back in the mid 1980s Cerafil has been the subject of continuous and ongoing development. This work has been aimed at making the product more applicable both in terms of duty and available geometries. Recent work has centred on new shapes, and in particular large elements that can be utilised to treat larger gas volumes and be retrofitted into existing bag house filter plants. Development work is also ongoing to provide products for ever more demanding duties in the fields of air pollution control and process filtration. The table below summarises development history and provides a glimpse into the future. Past 60mm O/D elements APC applications New ceramic filter plants Cerafil S-1000 Present Elements up to 150mm O/D and 3m long APC and product recovery New plants and retrofits Cerafil XS range with ongoing product development Future New geometries APC, product recovery and process filtration New plants and retrofits with increasing uptake in process filtration New products, including products for process filtration and other demanding duties

7 Case studies 7.1 Catalyst Production The efficiency of Cerafil filter elements can be utilised across a broad range of process filtration and air pollution control duties. In the latter case the low emissions delivered by Cerafil are particularly valuable where the particulate being collected is environmentally harmful. The requirement to minimise emissions is usually enforced by strict legislation and policing.

This plant in North West England, which produces catalysts, looked to Cerafil to control a low level process dust emission from one of its furnaces. A full scale filter plant was installed following a pilot trial, which demonstrated the capabilities of Cerafil. 7.1.1 Process The filter plant serves a calcining kiln which is used as an intermediate stage in a catalyst manufacturing process. A fine particulate is emitted in the off gas stream from the kiln, a trace amount of which is released as vapour. The inlet temperature to the filter is regulated by a controlled air bleed into the off gas stream. This ensures an optimum filtration temperature and overall filtration performance. A simplified schematic drawing of the process is shown below-

Ambient Air Bleed Mixed Gas Flow Stack Calcining Kiln Ceramic Filter Plant
dP Monitoring Points

Fan

The photo (left) shows the filter plant with its associated fan set. The monitoring points, in the outlet duct, are accessible from the adjacent maintenance platform. In this plant the elements are horizontally mounted in back to back arrays of 432 elements. The north side of the filter plant can be seen in the photo. The maintenance platform is level with the three plenum doors which give access to the plant for housekeeping and maintenance.

7.1.2 Plant Performance Plant performance the Filter Plant ceramic elements plant for some 16 data was collected. data is shown in Data table. The had been in the months when the

Filter Plant Data Number of elements Mounting Element type Filtration area Filter inlet temperature Filter outlet temperature Face velocity Pressure drop (across media) Pressure drop (across plant) Resistance Operating regime

864 Horizontal Cerafil XS-1250 198.7 m2 320oC 280oC 1.7 cm/s 180 mmwg 373 mmwg 3.4 109 m-1 Batch

The face velocity across the elements is relatively low but designed as such due to the fine nature of the dust being collected. The pressure drop across the elements, at 180 mmwg, gives an overall filter resistance which is favourable for the application and the age of the elements. 7.2 Clinical Waste Incineration Waste incineration was one of the first processes to which Cerafil ceramic filter elements were applied. Cerafil elements offer high filtration efficiency coupled with temperature and corrosion resistanceessential for dealing with the harsh filtration environment which is typical of incineration processes. To date Cerafil has been applied to a wide range of incineration duties including clinical, chemical, hazardous, tyre, munitions, sludge, radioactive and solvent waste. Incineration is a process widely used for the effective disposal of clinical waste. The feedstock to the process is typically highly variable, as are the off gases to be treated. An effective gas cleaning technology is therefore required, particularly given the strict emissions legislation usually applied to clinical waste incineration plants. The plant at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, England is licensed to incinerate 400 Kg of waste per day. The ceramic filter plant at the site was one of the first to utilise Cerafil XS-3000 elements. The elements were installed in November 1999. 7.2.1 Process
Secondary Burner Stage 2 Stage 1 Economiser Ceramic Filter Plant Furnace Fan Boiler Charging Ram Ash Ram

Stack

A schematic representation of the process is shown above. Bins of waste, with an average net weight of 50 Kg, are charged into the furnace every eight minutes. Off gases from the furnace pass through a two stage secondary chamber which is maintained at 1100 1200oC. From there the off gases pass to the boiler plant and on to the economiser. Sodium bicarbonate and PAC are injected into the off gas upstream of the filter plant. The filter plant reduces emissions to levels well below the authorised limit while collecting the reacted sorbents. 7.2.2 Plant Performance

Filter Plant Data Number of elements Mounting Element type Filtration area Filtration temperature Face velocity Pressure drop Operating regime

64 Vertical Cerafil XS-3000 89.6 m2 200oC 1.3 cm/s 230 mmwg Continuous

Operational data for the filter plant is shown in the table. Face velocity is conservative, typical for incineration applications. The pressure drop varied considerably during monitoring with peaks coinciding with waste charging- the highest figure recorded was 342 mmwg. Pressure drop quickly recovered after each surge back to normal levels. It is felt that the overall pressure drop regime could be improved pending improvements to the pulse cleaning system.

Despite this proviso the filter has operated well during the two and a half year life so far attained for the filter elements. 8 Conclusions Ceramic filter technology is an established filtration technique offering the dual benefits of temperature resistance and high filtration efficiency. These benefits can be utilised across a wide range of air pollution control, product recovery and process filtration duties. Ceramic elements can be retrofitted into existing plant or utilised in new custom-built plant in order to satisfy the requirements of the end user. Ceramic filtration is now an established technology serving a broad range of industrial gas filtration applications. The Cerafil reference lists now extends to over 170 references worldwide with key application areas being in waste incineration, metals smelting and inorganic chemicals production. Typically theses processes require high filtration efficiency at an elevated or variable temperature thereby utilising the benefits of the technology. Current and future developments will further extend the application of ceramic filter elements into product collection and process filtration duties. Existing pilot and full scale installations have already shown the value of the technology in this respect. Ongoing developments are targeted at fulfilling the requirements of reliability coupled with efficiency in ever more arduous applications. Reference Startin, A., Elliott, G. (2001, Nov). Treating Industrial Hot Gases with Ceramic Filters. Filtration and Separation. pp 38-40. Elsevier Science Ltd.

The information supplied is accurate to the best of our knowledge and is based upon current data. Properties quoted are typical and do not therefore constitute a specification. Customers are recommended to make their own assessment of our products under their own conditions. Issue 2, Revision 0, September 2005 (Paper originally prepared in 2003)