Precoat Loading Rates

(All Pressure Filters & Filter Presses)

1/16 cake 1/8 cake

800 1000 1200

General Rule
Filter Area (square feet)

Insufficient Apply 10# to 20# of

diatomaceous earth filter aid for
every 100 square feet of filtration
area in order to produce a
600

uniform precoat cake thickness of

1/16 to 1/8.
Excess
400

Precoating Hint
200

To help ensure uniform cake

formation, fill the filter vessel with
0

clean liquor before introducing

0 50 100 150 200 250 300
the precoat slurry.
Quantity of Diatomaceous Earth (pounds)

Filter Aid Grade Selection

Polishing Grades Rough/Lees Grades

Grade Darcy Product-Median Grade Darcy Product-Median

Permeability Particle Size - Permeability Particle Size -

FN-1 0.04 13 FW-12 0.80 24

FN-2 0.06 16 FW-14 1.20 28

FP-1 0.09 12.7 FW-20 2.10 33

FP-2 0.12 13 FW-40 3.20 40

FP-3 0.20 14 FW-50 3.50 42

FW-6 0.48 18 FW-60 5.0 48

Typical For Lees Filtration
P.O. Box 12130 ~ Reno, NV 89510
A Darcy is a unit of permeability that measures how fast water flows thru a porous media under standardized conditions. It (775) 824-7600 (800) 366-7607 FAX (775) 824-7694
provides no direct information about filtration effectiveness.
E-mail: inquiry.minerals@epminerals.com
 RVPF Filtration Filter Press Filtration
Rotary Vacuum Precoat Filter It is the precoat cake which performs the essential filtration, not the filter
cloth. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the filter cloth
specifications are matched to the performance of the filter aid grade.

~ Typical ~ Filter Cloth Selection

Filter Aid Grade Application Suggested Cloth Specifications
Monofilament: high flow rates; ease of cleaning
Yarn: Multifilament: good solids retention; low filter aid bleed-thru
Spun-staple: not suggested (high tendency to blind; difficult to clean)
Diatomaceous Earth Median Darcy
Grades Micron size, () Permeability
Plain: high solids retention, poor flow characteristics (not suggested)
Typical Useful Grade Range: FW-12 thru FW-70 24 thru 60 0.8 thru 8.0 Weave: Twill: best combination of wear, flow & solids retention characteristics
Satin: excellent flow & cake release characteristics; poor wear

Coarse Filtration (e.g. lees): FW-40 thru FW-70 40 thru 60 3.2 thru 8.0 A general cloth specification for filter press applications using precoat would be: Monofilament (for best cleaning)
Fine Filtration (e.g. pre-fermentation): FW-12 thru FW-20 24 thru 33 0.8 thru 2.1 Permeability: or Multifilament (for good solids retention) yarn and Twill weave for durability. The Permeability rating range should
be determined according to the filter aid grade used for precoating.

Permeability Range
3 2
[ft air flow / ft area @ 0.5 H2O] Filter Aid Grade Compatibility
Precoating Hints
Start with a 5%-10% (wt : wt basis) DE precoat slurry concentration [3%-6% for 0.5 5.0 Typically too tight for efficient use for a precoat application.
Precoat Slurry perlite]. Maintain a constant DE concentration in the filter vat for the duration of filter
5 15
Concentration aid addition. The mix tank should circulate to clear at the end of the cycle in order to Can be used for all precoat grades. Polish grades should employ a dual precoat; high flow
capture all filter aid additions. rate grades (i.e.> 3 Darcy permeability) should use a more permeable cloth.

10 25
Appropriate selection for all grades with a permeability of 1 Darcy or greater; not suggested
If the precoat resists formation and tends to wash off, reduce the vat level to a for polish grades except with a dual precoat.
Precoat Cake minimum and increase the drum speed to maximum. Once formation has occurred,
25 75
Formation reduce drum speed to 2 rpm. [Always ensure that the filter cloth is clean.] Most appropriate for grades with a permeability of 3 Darcys or greater; suitable for slurries
which cause cloth blinding or fouling (improves cleaning efficiency); not for polish applications.

Drum speed, vat level and precoat slurry concentration should be kept constant
Smooth & Even throughout the precoating cycle. Typical settings are: drum speed @ 2 rpm; vat level
Precoat Cake @ 10%-15% of drum submergence. Do not throttle the vacuum level.

Pressure Filter Filtration

Operating Hints Dual Precoating

Some European filters have designs which may help to minimize foam
Flow The grade used to establish process clarity; usually can be more
carry over to the vacuum pump. Other possible operating adjustments Fine Grade
Product Foaming are: (1) reduce the vacuum level to 10-12 Hg; (2) incorporate a knock-
permeable with dual method than when used as a single precoat.
out receiver to coalesce foam; or (3) defoamer addition.
This grade is used to support the fine grade; prevents bleed-thru
Coarse Grade of the fine grade & blinding of the septum from fines; permits use
A RVPF yields the best efficiency when the drum speed is as low as of a more open septum to reduce flow resistance.
Maximum Operating possible while still achieving production requirements. The knife cut must
Economy always be complete across the drum and around the drum for every
revolution. Filtered solids that have not been cut off will reduce flow rates. Can be used as a pre-precoat to enhance cake release, minimize
Cellulose filter aid bleed-thru or heal worn & torn screens. Increases
precoat integrity when blended WITH the precoat filter aid.
The highest filter flow rates are not necessarily obtained with a high septum
Optimum Filter Aid permeability filter aid grade. Process solids penetration must be kept to a
Grade reasonable amount (0.003-0.005) for efficient filtration rates, even if filtrate
clarity requirements are met with a more open grade.
Cellulose can be optional when coarse & fine grades of filter aid are used. Dual precoating is especially effective on pressure filters
with stainless steel screens, but can also be used on synthetic filter cloths on both pressure filters & filter presses.