Filter Cake Dewatering Due to Sudden Reduction in Filtration Area by Use of Floating Compression Disk

Abstract

In filters with an expression mechanism, rubber compression membranes have traditionally been used. For dewatering filter cake containing solvents or other substances harmful to rubber, hydraulic expression experiments were conducted in a horizontal plate filter using two kinds of plastic floating compression disks. After the filter cake grows up to the floating disk, the filtrate flows into the cake through the annular gap between the filter chamber and the disk. The impermeable surface of the disk acts to compress the filter cake by applied pressure. It is shown that a perforated floating disk can also be advantageous for filter cake dewatering.