Diatom filter

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Diatomaceous earth (DE) filtration is a special filtration process that removes particles from liquids as it passes through a layer of fossilized remains of microscopic water organism called diatoms. These diatoms are mined from diatomite deposits which are located along the Earth's surface as they have accumulated in sediment of open and moving bodies of water. Obtained diatomaceous earth is then purified using acid leaching or liquid-liquid extraction in order for it to be used in any form of application. The process of D.E. filtration is composed of three main stages: pre-coating, body feed, and cleaning. [1]

Contents

Due to the precision of diatomaceous earth filtration; being able to capture dangerous and microscopic particles while maintaining efficiency has allowed D.E. filters to be a highly popularized choice for aquariums, wastewater treatment, food and beverage filtration, and more.

Function

Swimming pools

Diatomaceous earth filters has been generally accepted to be the top contender for removing pollutants while having a high efficiency rate. When applied to pool filtration, a DE filter has demonstrated its capability in capturing varying particle sizes to maintain water clarity. Recent studies show that diatomaceous earth filters have been able to remove particles, ranging from 1-6 micrometers (micron) in size, thus maximizing water quality. [2] This degree of filtration allows small particles to be removed including bacteria, algae, viruses and other microscopic particles. Many of these particles come from bodily fluids, fecal matter, and other bacteria that can contaminate the water. Although there are coagulants, such as chlorine, that can be added to aid the filtration process by eliminating such particles; common pollutants that can not be efficiently removed by chlorine can include cryptosporidium, giardia duodenalis, pseudomonas aeruginosa and more. These parasites often have a high tolerance to chlorine and therefore are resistant to removal through conventional means such as coagulation. Despite this, outbreaks of cryptosporidium or giardia are seemingly low and in recent studies conducted in Atlanta, Georgia: out of 160 pools, 13 pool samples (18.1%) tested positive for at least one of both parasites. [3]

Other possible bacteria, viruses, parasites

Source: [4]

Considering the nature of certain bacteria, viruses, and parasites filtration is a key component in ensuring the well-being of those that utilize swimming pools. If a diatomaceous earth filter is employed and properly designed, the application can prove to be extremely efficient in the removal and minimization of almost 100% of parasites. In order to achieve this, filtration media (diatomaceous earth) must be at least 4 micrometers to remove Cryptosporidium, and at least 7 micrometers to filter Giarda duodenalis (G. lamblia). [5] Research has shown that DE filtration can provide a greater reduction in parasite oocyst concentrations that other methods including conventional and granular media filtration. DE filtration studies showed 6 logs of removal of parasitic oocysts in a full-scale water treatment simulation. [6] (6 logs refers to the reduction of a microorganism by 99.9999% of one million) Because of DE filters low micron rating, it is able to trap the smallest pollutant particles present.

DE Filters usage in surface water treatment and recreational water treatment requires regular maintenance and depending on volume of water, maintenance and replacement may be required more frequently. Efficiency of filtration requires continuous flow of water through the filter, with periodic pressure checks. Maintenance must be conducted regularly and the filter must be backwashed every four to six weeks; with fresh DE media added after every backwash. If maintenance is not conducted properly, build of bacteria, viruses, and parasites may overflow and the efficiency will be comprised. [7] It is important to note that filtration systems do not guarantee full removal of possible contaminants, therefore risk of bacteria, viruses, and parasites can still be present.

Food & beverage industry

Diatomaceous earth filtration can also be used in food and beverage application to eliminate contaminants including bacteria and microorganisms which can often change the quality of the consumable item. If bacteria and fungi are not removed from certain consumable liquids, it can result in long term contamination which affects the preservation and quality of the product. [8] Many products must meet filtration requirements, for example: brewers must meet certain requirements during the production of certain alcohols including malt beverages (beer, ale, etc.). [9] It is common that beer filtration must remove the turbidity, (yeast, hops resin, calcium oxalate) which can leave harmful microorganisms and affect the taste of the beverage. By conducting this filtration, microbes are eliminated improving the taste and appearance of the beer, while allowing preservation to be extended. While there are many ways to filter, diatomaceous earth filtration is used as a catcher, which intercepts particles in beer thus improving clarity. Diatomaceous earth has become a relatively simple choice for brewers, as it undergoes a natural process with no chemicals and quantity of D.E. can be adjust based on individual brewing needs. [10]

Environmental remediation

Major components and process

Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) filters can be modified based on the planned function of this filter, but all basic D.E. filters are composed of similar parts. The process first begins with a direct pipeline to a raw water source, in which the water flow can be continuously controlled. Throughout the whole mechanism, it is recommended to use copper metal pipes as it is corrosion resistant.

Adjoining water pipes

Filtration of liquids must be supplied from a direct water source; which can vary in regards to location and water supply. Depending on the location or distribution of such fluids, the materials used to facilitate the flow of these fluids must be rust proof and corrosion resistant. [11] Among the popular choice of materials, copper is the most commonly used element which has distributed safe drinking due to its strong characteristics resisting natural wear. In most industrial and non-commercial usage, copper piping used for fluids can also be insulated with sleeving or wrapping with polyphenylene ether pipe sleeves to grant additional protection. Some alternatives to metal depending on independent usages, can include water pipes made with polvinyl chloride pipes (PVC), cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). This category of pipes utilizes plastic as they durable and can easily conformable; while being able to withstand high pressures and prevents rust or corrosion. [12] During D.E. filtration, the same material for piping must be utilized throughout the process to maintain the purity of water flow as it undergoes the filtration process. [13]

Precoat tank / body feed tank

Common filtration flow diagram w/ pre-coat & body-feed Precoat Filtration.png
Common filtration flow diagram w/ pre-coat & body-feed

Fluids, commonly known as slurry, often consists of a mixture of particles varying in size which can not be efficiently filtered out by the main D.E. filter. Build up of such particles can increase pressure which results in reduced flow of liquid and a nonfunctional filter. To prevent this, the filtration process can include additional filter aid to distribute certain particles to prevent any problems that hinder the filtration process. [14] Filter aid are solid particles that can improve the permeability and porosity to improve filtrate clarity by trapping specific sized particles while allowing continuous flow of liquids. When filter aid builds up it has a high porosity; although the volume may accumulate, approximately fifteen percent of the total volume is solid, which leaves the rest to be empty space. [15] These filters can serve as a precoat that is applied prior to the filtration process. It is pumped through the filter press, simultaneously creating a porous filter cake on the specified filter cloths. Body feed is an additional filter aid which is often pumped throughout the whole filtration process to improve clarification and prevent build up of filter cake. Build up the filter cake can be detrimental as it becomes impermeable and can block the continuous flow of slurry. Usually, body feed is coarse and has a greater volume, which can assist filter cake build up while allowing particles to be efficiently removed. [16] The pre-coat tank and body feed tank generally serve the same purpose which is to filter out larger particles that can impede the filtration process. Depending on the purity of the initial slurry, the quantity needed of either the body feed or pre-coat can vary.

Septum

The formation of filter cake does not occur spontaneously, and requires a membrane to support the accumulation of filter cake. This membrane is commonly known as the septum, which often is made up of plastic or metallic material that serves a similar function as mesh. The septum is porous and permeable with openings, allowing slurry to flow while diatomaceous earth accumulate and crowd the septum openings. [17]

Water pressure regulator

Cycle times, improper maintenance, damaged septum, and an increase/decrease in flow can result in a change of pressure. Pressure is crucial to the efficiency in filtration: high pressure can damage the filter which can lead to unnecessary forces that push fluids to quickly through the septum. It is important to monitor the flow of filtrate as well as pre-coat and body feed to ensure that the proper flow is achieved with no hindrance.

Manufactured diatomaceous filter types

Pressure filter

Typical diatomaceous earth pressurized filtration system flow diagram Get-treatmentprocess-image.jpg
Typical diatomaceous earth pressurized filtration system flow diagram

A method for eliminating particulates like iron, magnesium, mill scale, and other precipitates involves the usage of a pressure filter. This type of filter comprises a sturdy filter vessel designed to withstand internal pressure, along with a network of pipes for water distribution and collection, and can incorporate one or more types of filter media. [18] Pressure filters find widespread application in municipal water systems, industrial settings, residential well water systems, and swimming pools. These DE filtration systems are rather simple and can be used in a vertical or horizontal setting and can be modified to allow the application of multimedia filters. Pressure filter systems have a water inlet and outlet with the inlet site at the top and the water outlet at the base of the filter. As the water flows through water inlet, it will encounters a grid assembly covered in synthetic cloth which provides support for the diatomaceous earth cake. [19] Gravity plays a part by forcing the flow of water to pass through the D.E. cake which filters out any unwanted particles. As the flow of water continues, water that has been clarified at the base of the filtration tank exits through the water outlet to any designated vessel. [20] These pressure filters serve a general purpose and are most applicable where the flow of fluids is consistent, thus requiring internal pressure monitoring of filtrated fluids.

Vacuum filter

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filtration</span> Process that separates solids from fluids

Filtration is a physical separation process that separates solid matter and fluid from a mixture using a filter medium that has a complex structure through which only the fluid can pass. Solid particles that cannot pass through the filter medium are described as oversize and the fluid that passes through is called the filtrate. Oversize particles may form a filter cake on top of the filter and may also block the filter lattice, preventing the fluid phase from crossing the filter, known as blinding. The size of the largest particles that can successfully pass through a filter is called the effective pore size of that filter. The separation of solid and fluid is imperfect; solids will be contaminated with some fluid and filtrate will contain fine particles. Filtration occurs both in nature and in engineered systems; there are biological, geological, and industrial forms.

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from water. The goal is to produce water that is fit for specific purposes. Most water is purified and disinfected for human consumption, but water purification may also be carried out for a variety of other purposes, including medical, pharmacological, chemical, and industrial applications. The history of water purification includes a wide variety of methods. The methods used include physical processes such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation; biological processes such as slow sand filters or biologically active carbon; chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination; and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.

Microfiltration is a type of physical filtration process where a contaminated fluid is passed through a special pore-sized membrane filter to separate microorganisms and suspended particles from process liquid. It is commonly used in conjunction with various other separation processes such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to provide a product stream which is free of undesired contaminants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diatomaceous earth</span> Soft, siliceous sedimentary rock

Diatomaceous earth, diatomite, celite or kieselgur/kieselguhr is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from more than 3 mm to less than 1 μm, but typically 10 to 200 μm. Depending on the granularity, this powder can have an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and has a low density as a result of its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of oven-dried diatomaceous earth is 80–90% silica, with 2–4% alumina, and 0.5–2% iron oxide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sand filter</span> Water filtration device

Sand filters are used as a step in the water treatment process of water purification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backwashing (water treatment)</span>

In terms of water treatment, including water purification and sewage treatment, backwashing refers to pumping water backwards through the filters media, sometimes including intermittent use of compressed air during the process. Backwashing is a form of preventive maintenance so that the filter media can be reused. In water treatment plants, backwashing can be an automated process that is run by local programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The backwash cycle is triggered after a set time interval, when the filter effluent turbidity is greater than a treatment guideline or when the differential pressure across the filter exceeds a set value.

<i>Cryptosporidium</i> Genus of single-celled organisms

Cryptosporidium, sometimes called crypto, is an apicomplexan genus of alveolates which are parasites that can cause a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness (cryptosporidiosis) that primarily involves watery diarrhea, sometimes with a persistent cough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portable water purification</span> Self-contained, easily transported units used to purify water from untreated sources

Portable water purification devices are self-contained, easily transported units used to purify water from untreated sources for drinking purposes. Their main function is to eliminate pathogens, and often also of suspended solids and some unpalatable or toxic compounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotary vacuum-drum filter</span> Drum used to filter a slurry

A Rotary Vacuum Filter Drum consists of a cylindrical filter membrane that is partly sub-merged in a slurry to be filtered. The inside of the drum is held lower than the ambient pressure. As the drum rotates through the slurry, the liquid is sucked through the membrane, leaving solids to cake on the membrane surface while the drum is submerged. A knife or blade is positioned to scrape the product from the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross-flow filtration</span>

In chemical engineering, biochemical engineering and protein purification, cross-flow filtration is a type of filtration. Cross-flow filtration is different from dead-end filtration in which the feed is passed through a membrane or bed, the solids being trapped in the filter and the filtrate being released at the other end. Cross-flow filtration gets its name because the majority of the feed flow travels tangentially across the surface of the filter, rather than into the filter. The principal advantage of this is that the filter cake is substantially washed away during the filtration process, increasing the length of time that a filter unit can be operational. It can be a continuous process, unlike batch-wise dead-end filtration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquarium filter</span>

Aquarium filters are critical components of both freshwater and marine aquaria. Aquarium filters remove physical and soluble chemical waste products from aquaria, simplifying maintenance. Furthermore, aquarium filters are necessary to support life as aquaria are relatively small, closed volumes of water compared to the natural environment of most fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swimming pool sanitation</span>

Swimming pool sanitation is the process of ensuring healthy conditions in swimming pools. Proper sanitation is needed to maintain the visual clarity of water and to prevent the transmission of infectious waterborne diseases.

Black powder is an industry name for the abrasive, reactive particulate contamination present in all gas and hydrocarbon fluid transmission lines. Black powder ranges from light brown to black, and the mineral makeup varies per production field around the world.

Depth filters are filters that use a porous filtration medium to retain particles throughout the medium, rather than just on the surface of the medium. Depth filtration, typified by multiple porous layers with depth, is used to capture the solid contaminants from the liquid phase. These filters are commonly used when the fluid to be filtered contains a high load of particles because, relative to other types of filters, they can retain a large mass of particles before becoming clogged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filtered beer</span>

Filtered beer refers to any ale, lager, or fermented malt beverage in which the sediment left over from the brewing process has been removed. Ancient techniques included the use of straw mats, cloth, or straws, and frequently left some sediment in the drink. Modern filtration, introduced at the end of the 19th century, uses a mechanical process that can remove all sediment, including yeast, from the beer. Such beer is known as bright beer and requires force carbonation before bottling or serving from a keg. In the United Kingdom, a beer which has been filtered in the brewery is known as "brewery-conditioned", as opposed to unfiltered cask ales.

A vacuum ceramic filter is designed to separate liquids from solids for dewatering of ore concentrates purposes. The device consists of a rotator, slurry tank, ceramic filter plate, distributor, discharge scraper, cleaning device, frame, agitating device, pipe system, vacuum system, automatic acid dosing system, automatic lubricating system, valve and discharge chute. The operation and construction principle of vacuum ceramic filter resemble those of a conventional disc filter, but the filter medium is replaced by a finely porous ceramic disc. The disc material is inert, has a long operational life and is resistant to almost all chemicals. Performance can be optimized by taking into account all those factors which affect the overall efficiency of the separation process. Some of the variables affecting the performance of a vacuum ceramic filter include the solid concentration, speed rotation of the disc, slurry level in the feed basin, temperature of the feed slurry, and the pressure during dewatering stages and filter cake formation.

Membrane technology encompasses the scientific processes used in the construction and application of membranes. Membranes are used to facilitate the transport or rejection of substances between mediums, and the mechanical separation of gas and liquid streams. In the simplest case, filtration is achieved when the pores of the membrane are smaller than the diameter of the undesired substance, such as a harmful microorganism. Membrane technology is commonly used in industries such as water treatment, chemical and metal processing, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, the food industry, as well as the removal of environmental pollutants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pusher centrifuge</span>

A pusher centrifuge is a type of filtration technique that offers continuous operation to de-water and wash materials such as relatively in-compressible feed solids, free-draining crystalline, polymers and fibrous substances. It consists of a constant speed rotor and is fixed to one of several baskets. This assembly is applied with centrifugal force that is generated mechanically for smaller units and hydraulically for larger units to enable separation.

The peeler centrifuge is a device that performs by rotating filtration basket in an axis. A centrifuge follows on the principle of centrifugal force to separate solids from liquids by density difference. High rotation speed provides high centrifugal force that allows the suspended solid in feed to settle on the inner surface of basket. There are three kinds of centrifuge, horizontal, vertical peeler centrifuge and siphon peeler centrifuge. These classes of instrument apply to various areas such as fertilisers, pharmaceutical, plastics and food including artificial sweetener and modified starch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravity filtration</span>

Gravity filtration is a method of filtering impurities from solutions by using gravity to pull liquid through a filter. The two main kinds of filtration used in laboratories are gravity and vacuum/suction. Gravity filtration is often used in chemical laboratories to filter precipitates from precipitation reactions as well as drying agents, inadmissible side items, or remaining reactants. While it can also be used to separate out strong products, vacuum filtration is more commonly used for this purpose.

References

  1. ↑ Bhardwaj, Vipin; Mirloss, Mel J. "Diatomaceous Earth Filtration for Drinking Water" (PDF). Retrieved 13 November 2023.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ Foutz Jr., Robert H. "DE Filter Care". Pool and Spa News. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Shields, Joan M.; Gleim, Elizabeth R.; Beach, Michael J. (14 June 2008). "Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis in Swimming Pools, Atlanta, Georgia". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 14 (6): 948–950. doi:10.3201/eid1406.071495. PMC   2600305 . PMID   18507911.
  4. ↑ Millis, N F; Eager, E; Hay, AJ; Pickering, WJ; Tan, MA (1981). "Survey of bacteria in private swimming pools". Journal of the Australian Medical Association. 1 (11): 573–575. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1981.tb135836.x. PMID   6789045 . Retrieved 10 Oct 2023.
  5. ↑ "Perlite Filter Aid for Recreational Water Filtration". Perlite Institute. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Hutton, P.E.; Ongerth, Jerry E. (1997). "DE Filtration to remove Cryptosporidium". American Water Works Association. 89 (12): 39. Bibcode:1997JAWWA..89l..39O. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1997.tb08338.x . Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Pool Water Efficiency" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency. EPA WaterSense. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "Water Filtration in Food & Beverage Processing". Critical Process Filtration Inc. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Which Alcohol Beverages Require Formula Approval?". Alcohol and Tabacco Tax and Trade Bureau. U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Key to Brewing Shelf-Stable Beer". Dicalite. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Why Copper". Copper Development Association Inc. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "The 5 Types of Plumbing Pipes". New England Institute of Technology. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  13. ↑ H, Korey. "ABS vs. PVC Piping – Differences and Common Uses". Commercial Industrial Supply. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "Perlite Filter Aids Explained". Perlite Institute - A Worldwide Association of Perlite Professionals. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  15. ↑ Doran, Pauline M (2013). Bioprocess Engineering Principles (Second ed.). Elsevier. ISBN   978-0-12-220851-5 . Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  16. ↑ Cheremisinoff, Nicholas P (1998). Liquid Filtration (Second ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 19–58. ISBN   0-7506-7047-9 . Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Pressure Filtration with Diatomaceous Earth (DE)" (PDF). Celatom Filter Aids. EP Minerals A U.S. Silica Company. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  18. ↑ Mossman, Matthew C. "Pressure Filters". DeLoach Industries. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Pressure Filter". Water Treatment. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "DE Pool Filter Basics - What Is Pressure De Pool Filtration". Pool Operation Management. Retrieved 1 November 2023.

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