In the manufacturing of this specialty chemical, the pilot plant examined the process to determine the most effective method for filtration to develop a production process. A study was undertaken, by plant engineering and development, to examine the use of a rotary pressure filter to develop the overall process operations for product quality and production rates.

This paper reviews the basics of two alternatives: rotary pressure filter and pressurized drum filters. The technologies are reviewed for the filtration of a liquefied gas slurry.

The article continues with the discussion of the process testing in the laboratory and in the field to evaluate the Rotary Pressure Filter. The lab testing used a BHS pressurized pocket leaf filter with 20 cm2 of filter area while the fieldwork was conducted on a Rotary Pressure Filter with a filter area of 0.18 m2. The paper discusses test procedures, data collection, filter media selection and other process parameters. Scale-up data includes process conditions and production rates.
The paper conclusion is two-fold: a review of the unique specifications of the rotary pressure filter required for the process to meet production rates, product quality and site environmental and safety concerns. Finally, the paper demonstrates the creative process solution that is developed with close collaboration between the operating company and the vendor.

This is a PDF document: click here to download and view this document.