Development of Continuous Freeze-concentration Equipment: A Report on Treated Quantity of Mother Liquor and Separation Efficiency

Abstract

There is growing demand for simple freeze-concentration equipment that can operate intermittently. We have made freeze-concentration equipment consisting of an ice-maker, which continuously produces ice flakes on a rotating cooling drum, and a continuous centrifugal separator. Experiments using sea-water with this equipment led to the following results. 1) The treated quantity of the mother liquor was 11.6–45.0 kg/h, the solute recovery rate 0.12–0.76, and the separation efficiency 0.16–0.49. 2) Increased of ice flakes was the main cause of a decrease of separation efficiency. 3) To improve separation efficiency, further study is required on shortening the residence time of ice flakes in the centrifugal separator.