B. Tech.

Department of Chemical Engineering CT - 2

CLPC18 Particulate Science and Technology

Duration: 90 minutes Answer all questions Max Marks: 30

Any missing data may be assumed appropriately

Question paper will be uploaded by 5:00pm
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1. Precipitated calcium carbonate has application as filler material in paper, rubber and polymer
industries. It is manufactured by carbonation of lime solution as a batch process in 5m3 tanks.
The process time is 35 min. and the precipitate is filtered to recover calcium carbonate.
Suggest appropriate filtration equipment and justify. [2 + 2 = 4]
2. A slurry of solids with concentration 50kg/m3 is to be filtered in a filter press at constant
pressure of 5 bar. Laboratory test reveal the following relationship for cake resistance with
pressure drop. P is expressed in bar and  is in m/kg.
∝ = 5.88 × 1010 (1 + 3.36 × 103 ∆𝑃0.86 )
The filter medium resistance is found to be 3.9x1010 m-1. Determine the filter surface needed
to filter 6 m3 of filtrate in one hour. The density of water and solids are 1000 kg/m3 and 1875
kg/m3 respectively. The viscosity of water is 1 cP. [5]
3. Consider the problem statement in Question no. 2. The filtration is carried out at constant
rate filtration till the system achieves 5 bar pressure limit for constant pressure operation. The
time taken to achieve 5 bar pressure is 8 min. Subsequently, the filtration is proceeded at
constant pressure. Then determine the total volume of filtrate obtained in one hour. [6]
4. Consider the problem statement in Problem 2. The filtration is carried out in rotary drum filter
rotating at 2 rpm with a submergence of 0.4. The discharge rate of solids, expected, is 0.5 ton
per hour. The length to diameter ratio of rotary drum is 2.5. Determine the surface area of
filtration and the diameter and the length of rotary drum. [5]
5. It is decided to use gravity sedimentation for separation of solids. The feed slurry
concentration is 5kg of solids per kg of liquid. The underflow concentration of sludge,
expected, is 0.5kg of solids per kg of liquid. The laboratory tests have resulted in the settling
velocity data as given in P-5. Determine the area of sedimentation tank to process 10,000m3
per hour of slurry. Liquid density is 1000 kg/m3 and the viscosity is 1cP. [5]

C 0.2 0.238 0.27 0.322 0.4

[kgS/kgW]
Us [mm/s] 0.2 0.12 0.094 0.07 0.05

6. Consider the problem statement in question no 5. The separation of solids is considered to be

carried out in a tubular centrifuge of inner and outer diameter of 0.15m and 0.20m with a
length of 0.6m. The cut-off particle size considered is 5m. Determine the angular speed of
the centrifuge to achieve the same capacity. [5]