ABSTRACT
This chapter describes separation dealing with heterogeneous mixtures under a broad section on mechanical operations. Separation processes are commonly used in chemical and food industries to purify or recover desired materials from heterogeneous or homogeneous mixtures. Physical separation processes, commonly known as mechanical separation processes, are applied to heterogeneous mixture. These are based on various physical properties of the materials and their behaviour in specific environments. Separation processes for homogeneous mixture involve diffusion principles. Mechanical separation processes that are involved in food processing industries are separation of solid from solids, solid from liquid, liquid from liquid and solid from gas. In separation process with fine food particles, flying of very fine particles in the surrounding air may cause severe health hazards to the workers; chance of fire hazard is also a common incidence. Centrifugal separation process is more versatile than cake filters and clarifiers.
