The use of acoustic fields as a filtration and dewatering aid

An experimental rig has been developed to study the effects of electric and acoustic field combinations on the filtration rate of titanium dioxide suspensions. Ultrasound energy is applied tangentially to the filter medium. Electric field strengths, suspension characteristics and process parameters can all be varied independently. Results from an experimental programme demonstrate that the use of ultrasound across the cake surface can decrease the specific cake flow resistance and increase the filtration rates of low-concentration rutile suspensions (0.1% v/v). Changes in the conductivity induced by ultrasonic irradiation affect the suspension such that the application of an electrical field is enhanced, giving an equivalent electric field strength higher than that applied.