ABSTRACT
Electrofiltration can be an effective combination method with mechanical dewatering to enhance filtration kinetics, because its potential rises with increasing particle surface. By adding an electric field on pressure dewatering the electrokinetic effects of electroosmosis and electrophoresis occur. But caused by the electric field also electrolysis and a thermal viscosity decrease, resulting of the electrical resistance of the bulk, happen. To achieve an industrial realization of the process these single effects and their influence to the process have to be known. In this paper the separation for the processes will be presented. The dewatering effect of arising electrolytic gas can be calculated by a continuity balance. The change of viscosity can be eliminated by knowledge of temperature. To separate the electrokinetic effects, the equation of Yukawa, which is based on the root equation of cake building filtration, can be used. Experiments on a specially constructed pressure-electro-filter showed that the acceleration of filtration kinetics is caused mainly by electrophoresis and that an electroosmotic dewatering of a pressed bulk isn’t possible.
