Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Biomass separation from liquids by sedimentation and centrifugation

1982; Springer Science+Business Media; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/3-540-11699-0_12

1616-8542

Udo Wiesmann, Herbert Binder,

Coagulation and Flocculation Studies

Sedimentation tanks and centrifuges are used in several biotechnological processes to separate the produced biomass from culture media. After reviewing different types of separators, methods of calculation are described, both for separation in low concentration regions (clarification) and in higher ones (thickening). Firstly, closed systems are considered which are useful for the measurement of settling rates. The hydrodynamic theory for free settling of single particles as well as the theory of the limiting flux for higher particle concentrations are discussed. Differences between ideal suspensions of rigid particles and non-ideal suspensions of flocks which were formed in many bio-suspensions are pointed out. Methods of calculation for continuous clarification and thickening in vertical flow tanks and tube centrifuges with continuous solid discharge (decanter) are described. As far as possible theoretical results are compared with experimental ones. Some examples for the application of sedimentation tanks and centrifuges in biotechnology are given. Finally some remarks about flocculation processes are added.