MECHANICAL SEPARATIONS:

Lecture # 1

Prepared by: A.N.Tabish Lab. Engineer / Lecturer Department of Chemical Engineering UET, City Campus, Lahore
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Course Contents:
1. Introduction to Separation processes: 2. Role of mechanical separations in Chemical Processing: 3. Discussion of Mechanical separations processes: i. ii. iii. iv. Filtration Sedimentation Centrifugal Separation Magnetic and Electrostatic Separations v. Flotation vi. Clarification vii. Tabling viii. Jigging ix. Sonic Agglomeration

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Introduction: Separation:[1]
A technique that transform a mixture of substances into two or more products differing in composition.

Separating Agents:
Energy input (heat, pressure, electricity, magnetism, kinetic or potential energy) Withdrawal of energy (cooling, freezing) Matter (filter, membrane, chemicals)

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Mechanism of Separation:
Mixing: Spontaneous, natural process accompanied by increase in entropy and randomness. Second Law of Thermodynamics states that all natural processes take place so as to increase the entropy or randomness of the universe. Separation: Reverse of mixing, demixing. Equivalent of thermodynamic work has to supplied to cause the separation to occur.

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Separation process is the technology of unmixing and isolating the wanted product or products economically, feasibly and without harming the environment

Critical separations in human body:

Separation of oxygen from air and of CO2 from blood in

the lungs Selective removal of water and waste products of

metabolism from blood in the kidneys

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Role of separation processes in Chemical Industry:

1. 2. 3. 4. Isolating valuable chemicals from mixtures, Removing impurities from raw materials, Purification of products, Environmental Protection by removing contaminants and pollutants from effluent stream

Key operations in Chemical Plant:[2]

1. 2. 3. Chemical Reactions Separation of chemicals Separation of phases
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Typical chemical plant layout

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Primary factors effecting separations:

Size: Diffusivity: Ionic Charge: Filtration, screening, Chromatography Reverse Osmosis Ion Exchange

Vapor Temperature, Distillation Pressure: Solubility: Density:

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Solvent Extraction, Absorption Gravity sedimentation, Centrifugal separation

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Classification of Separation Technology:[3] 1. Equilibration separations: (equilibration of two

immiscible phases which have different compositions at equilibrium) distillation, evaporation, extraction, leaching, chromatography, absorption and stripping,

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2.

Rate / gradient based separations: (differences

in transport rate through some medium under the influence of an imposed force, resulting from a gradient in pressure, temperature, composition,electric potential, or the like) 3. membrane separation, reverse osmosis ultra filtration, dialysis, Mechanical separations: (heterogeneous feed consisting of electro dialysis and gas separations by

membrane permeation

more than one phase of matter. These simply serve to separate phases from each other)
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Classification of Separation Technology:

Separation Processing: Mass Transfer Operations: Based on transfer of material between phases Applicable to homogeneous solutions Absorption, drying, distillation, solvent extraction
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Mechanical Separations: Based on physical differences, such as density, size, or shape Applicable to Heterogeneous mixtures Sedimentation, Filtration Flotation, Clarification
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Mass Transfer operations:

Mass transfer operations are characterized by the movement of one substance through another on a molecular scale. Homogeneous (Single Phase) systems: A second phase must generally be developed before separation of chemical species can be achieved economically. Second phase can be created by: 1. ESA (Energy Separating agent e.g. Distillation 2. MSA (Mass Separating agent) e.g. Liq-Liq Extraction
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Key techniques in Mass Transfer operations: Using Mass Separating Agent (MSA): Gas (Vapor) liquid contact: Gas Absorption Liquid Liquid Contact: Liq-Liq Extraction Solid Liquid Contact: Leaching, Crystallization Gas Solid Contact: Drying with dry gas stream
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Mechanical Separations:
Mechanical separation operations depend on differences in bulk properties, such as density or particle size, to bring about the separation of different components of a mixture.

Mechanical Separations in Food Industry:

Some specific examples for foods include: 1. clarification of juices, 2. wine and beer; 3. removal of excess pulp from fruit juice; 4. separation of solvents from oil seed meal; 5. separation of water from oils; 6. removal of dust from air;
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Mechanical Separations in Food Industry:

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Advantages of Mechanical Separations:

Relatively less Energy Requirements Utilities) Ease of Operation Ease of Maintenance (But not in all) No special Feed pretreatment required

Dis-Advantages of Mechanical Separations:

Not applicable for separating Components in homogeneous phase They are not versatile i.e. in same state may be one element can be separated and other can not Applicable to low flow rates

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References:
[1] Binay K. Dutta Principles of mass transfer and separation processes pp.3 [2] Ernest J. Henley, and J.D. Seader Equilibrium-Stage Separation operations in chemical engineering , pp. 4 [3] Shouci Lu, Robert, and J. Pugh, K. S. Eric Forssberg Interfacial separation of particles , pp. 2

Note:
Purpose of providing all these references is to facilitate the students to study the mentioned topic in detail
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