Chemical Engineering

Basic Chemical Engineering

Filtration

Filtration is a common (Seperation process) mechanical or physical process that separates solids from fluids (liquids or gases) by introducing a medium that allows only the fluid to flow through while trapping larger particles. A filtrate is the fluid that passes through. Any barrier that allows one material to pass through it more easily than another is referred to as a membrane. Membrane separators can be divided into two categories: those that separate on the basis of diffusivity and those that separate on the basis of molecule size.

Your typical vacuum cleaner is an illustration of a membrane separator. Vacuum cleaners work by taking in air laden with dust from your carpet. The comparatively large dust particles are subsequently captured by a filter inside the vacuum, which also allows air to flow through (since air particles are relatively small). A fabric filter, often known as a "Baghouse," is a larger-scale device that employs the same principle and is employed in air pollution management and other situations where a solid must be extracted from a gas.