ABSTRACT
Sedimentation is a separation of solid particles from a suspension due to the effect of a body force, which may be either gravity or centrifugal, on the buoyant mass of the particle. The sedimentation operation is often referred to as either thickening or clarification. If the main purpose of the operation is to concentrate solids into a denser slurry, the operation is generally called thickening, whereas, if the major concern is to produce a relatively clear liquid phase, the operation is usually called clarification. Because both thickening and clarification occur in any sedimentation basin, both functions have to be considered in the thickener design.
