Characteristics of Filtration Treatment Using Diatomite Filter Aids for Sewage Water Reuse

The purpose of this study was to investigate treatment characteristics of diatomite filtration, that would allow water recovery from biologically-treated effluent for reuse. Diatomite, Celpure 100, and acid clay were used as filter-aids, with a support filter manufactured from polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP). This pre-coating process using diatomite filter-aids, is used in the filtration range of pressure filters, and has consistently provided high-quality separation. The results showed that variations in average removal efficiency of SS, and T-P from biologically treated effluent by the diatomite-coated PE filter, were approximately 82.2 ~ 88.9 % and 4.8 ~ 21.1 %, respectively. T-P treatment efficiency of the PP filter pre-coated with diatomite and $Celpure^{(R)}100$ at $57.64g/m^2$, was approximately $24{\pm}10%$ and $40{\pm}15%$ on average, respectively. Particle size distribution of secondary effluent varied from 0.05 to $200{\mu}m$, and $d_{50}$ value was $20.76{\mu}m$. The size distribution of particles in the diatomite filtrate ranged from 1.26 to $101.1{\mu}m$ when pre-coated with diatomite filter-aid, at a content of $57.64g/m^2$. Diatomite filter aids, i.e., the particles that form the pre-coating layer, capture very fine particles as well as macromolecules, owing to their complex structure with numerous fine microscopic pores, and surface properties. The filtration process using diatomite and $Celpure^{(R)}100$ as filter aids, has been successfully applied, to recover water from sewage for reuse. The disadvantage of the process, is that the particle size of the filter-aid is spent, because of pressurization.

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