In the huge system of industrial production, centrifuges play an indispensable key role, is to achieve efficient material separation of the core equipment. From food and beverage to chemical and pharmaceutical, from environmental protection and water treatment to mineral resources processing, centrifuges are everywhere, quietly promoting the development and progress of various industries. According to different structures and working principles, centrifuges derived from a variety of types, including horizontal centrifuges, vertical centrifuges and pusher centrifuges in industrial applications occupy a dominant position. Each of them has unique performance characteristics, and can accurately meet the separation needs of different materials.
一.Horizontal centrifuge: all-round industrial ‘giant’
1.Working principle analysis
Horizontal centrifuges, as one of the most widely used types of centrifuges in the industrial field, work on the basis of the powerful effect of centrifugal force. When the centrifuge is started, the drum rotates at a very high speed, generating a powerful centrifugal force field. In this centrifugal force field, the materials to be separated are fed into the drum, due to the difference in density of different components, under the action of centrifugal force, the solid particles with higher density move rapidly towards the drum wall and gradually accumulate on the drum wall to form precipitation; while the liquid with lower density forms a liquid phase layer on the inside of the solid precipitation and is discharged out of the drum through the specific discharge device, thus realising the high-efficiency separation of solids and liquids.
This relies on centrifugal force to achieve separation, so that the horizontal centrifuge can be adapted to a variety of different properties of the material separation needs. Whether it is a suspension with small particles or a mixture containing large particles, the horizontal centrifuge can precisely separate the solid-liquid two phases with its powerful centrifugal force. The separation process is efficient and continuous, and can meet the needs of large-scale industrial production.
2.Common types and applicable materials
Horizontal spiral filtration centrifuge: it is especially suitable for processing raw materials containing crystalline solid particles, such
as common sodium chloride solution. During the separation process, the mixed liquid is subjected to centrifugal force in the high-speed rotating drum, and the liquid is thrown out of the drum through the filter medium, while the solid particles are retained on the filter medium to achieve solid-liquid separation. In order to ensure the stability of the separation effect, the solid-liquid ratio in the mixture should be controlled at about 10 – 40%. If the solid-liquid ratio is too high, it may lead to excessive accumulation of solid particles, blocking the filter medium and affecting the separation efficiency; if the solid-liquid ratio is too low, there may be a runaway phenomenon, resulting in material wastage. In practical applications, it is often used as a supporting equipment for sewage treatment evaporator, playing an important role in solid-liquid separation.
Horizontal spiral sedimentation centrifuge: in the city sewage treatment and other environmental protection projects play a pivotal role. Its working principle is to use the centrifugal sedimentation principle, when the mixture enters the high-speed rotating drum, the solid particles with larger specific gravity are rapidly deposited on the inner wall of the drum under the action of centrifugal force, forming a thick layer of precipitation. Subsequently, the spiral blade, like a diligent ‘porter’, continuously scrapes down the deposited solid particles and pushes them towards the slag discharge port, while the liquid is discharged from the drum through the overflow port, realising the efficient separation of different specific gravity substances in the mixed liquid. In the process of sewage treatment, it can effectively remove sediment, suspended solids, organic matter and other solid impurities in the sewage, so that the treated water quality meets the discharge standards, making an important contribution to environmental protection.
Horizontal scraper centrifuge: Horizontal scraper centrifuge has its automatic and continuous operation characteristics. It can automatically complete a series of operations such as charging and discharging without stopping, which greatly improves the production efficiency. In industrial production, it is widely used in the separation of a variety of materials, especially the separation of chemical raw materials, such as chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
二.Vertical centrifuges: ‘compact specialists’ for efficient separation
1.Unique design and working mode
When the vertical centrifuge is started, the material enters the high-speed rotating drum from the top. Under the action of powerful centrifugal force, different components in the material are quickly separated according to the density difference. The solid particles with larger density quickly settle to the drum wall, while the liquid with smaller density converges in the centre of the drum and is discharged through the specific liquid discharge device, thus realising the efficient separation of solid and liquid. Compared with horizontal centrifuges, vertical centrifuges have a simpler material flow path and a more efficient separation process. And its drum is placed vertically, this design makes the whole equipment footprint is greatly reduced, its compact structure design not only saves valuable space, but also makes the installation and maintenance of equipment more convenient, for the user to bring a lot of convenience.
2.Applicable Material Scene
Solid-phase granular suspended materials: in small-scale chemical production, often involves the separation of solid-phase granular suspended materials. For example, in the production process of some fine chemical products, solid-liquid separation of reaction liquid containing granular solids is required. Vertical centrifuges, by virtue of their highly efficient separation capacity and compact structure, are able to quickly and accurately separate solid particles from liquids to meet production requirements for product purity and quality. The advantage of its small footprint makes it easily adaptable to the limited space layout of small chemical workshops, providing strong support for the production operation of enterprises.
Fibrous materials: In the textile printing and dyeing industry, solid-liquid phase separation of fibrous materials is a key link. Vertical centrifuges are excellent in this regard, and can effectively dewater fibrous materials and remove excess water. Take the dyeing process in textile factory as an example, the dyed fibre fabric contains a large amount of dye and water, which needs to be separated efficiently. Vertical centrifuge through the centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation, the water in the fibre thrown out, so that the fibre can be quickly dewatered, laying a good foundation for the subsequent processing procedures. Its unique design avoids excessive damage to the fibres and ensures that the quality and properties of the fibres are not compromised.
Laboratory and medical sample processing: In the laboratory and medical field, small amounts of samples often need to be separated quickly and accurately. In medical testing, samples such as blood and urine are centrifuged to obtain pure serum or plasma for disease diagnosis and testing. The compact size and simple operation of the vertical centrifuge make it easy to place on the laboratory operating table, and the experimenter only needs to put the samples into the centrifuge, set the corresponding parameters, and then the separation operation can be completed easily.
三.Pusher centrifuges: the ‘separation powerhouse’ for continuous operation
Pusher centrifuge is a highly efficient continuous operation separation equipment, its core operating mechanism lies in the unique piston pushing system. When the pusher centrifuge is started, the materials to be separated continuously enter the high-speed rotating drum through the feeding device. Under the action of strong centrifugal force, the liquid in the material is quickly thrown out of the drum through the screen, while the solid particles are gradually piled up on the screen to form filter cake. At this time, the piston pusher begins to play a key role, it will be a certain frequency and stroke, the cake along the drum axial gradually pushed out of the drum, to achieve continuous solid-liquid separation process.
This continuous working mode makes the pusher centrifuge has significant advantages in industrial production. It can achieve continuous feeding, separation and unloading of materials, greatly improving production efficiency and reducing the workload of manual operation. Compared with the batch centrifuge, the pusher centrifuge does not need to stop frequently for unloading and cleaning, the production process is more smooth, and can meet the needs of large-scale industrial production for continuous and automated. At the same time, due to its continuous operation characteristics, the energy consumption of the equipment is relatively low, and the operating costs are more economical. In the chemical industry, fertiliser and other industries in the large-scale production, pushing centrifuge with its efficient operation mechanism, has become one of the first choice of equipment to achieve rapid separation of materials.
四.Selection Guide
1.Material nature considerations
Particle size: the particle size of the material is one of the key factors affecting the selection of centrifuges. For fine particle size materials, such as in the production process of some nanomaterials, the diameter of the material particles may be in the nanometer level, at this time the horizontal spiral sedimentation centrifuge can rely on its powerful centrifugal force field, effectively separating these fine particles from the liquid. For medium and coarse particles of materials, such as in the construction materials industry, when dealing with sand and gravel and other large particles of materials, push centrifuge is more suitable, it can easily deal with the separation of medium and coarse particles, to ensure efficient and stable separation effect.
Density: The difference in density of different components in the material directly determines the separation difficulty and effect of the centrifuge. When the density difference between the solid-liquid two phases in the material is large, such as in the field of mining, the density difference between ore and water is obvious, various types of centrifuges can better achieve separation. However, when the density difference is small, such as in the separation of some fine chemical products, you need to choose the separation of higher precision centrifuges, such as horizontal centrifuges, which can precisely control the centrifugal force and rotational speed, to achieve the effective separation of materials with small density difference.
Solid-liquid ratio: solid-liquid ratio refers to the proportional relationship between solids and liquids in materials. For materials with high solid-liquid ratio, such as in the treatment of some industrial waste residue, the solid content is high, the piston pusher centrifuge can give full play to its advantages, and quickly and effectively separate the solids from the liquid. And for materials with lower solid-liquid ratio
Corrosivity: If the material is corrosive, such as in the chemical industry, many acids, alkalis and other corrosive materials need to be separated, which puts forward strict requirements on the material of the centrifuge. In this case, should choose to use corrosion-resistant materials manufactured centrifuges, such as the use of stainless steel material or special alloy material centrifuge. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the sealing performance of the centrifuge to ensure that corrosive materials will not leak and cause damage to equipment and the environment.
Viscosity: the viscosity of the material will affect its flow performance and separation effect in the centrifuge. For materials with high viscosity, such as in the production of some polymer materials, the material viscosity is large, which may lead to separation difficulties. At this time, it is necessary to choose centrifuges with special structural design, such as centrifuges equipped with special stirring devices or filters, to help the material flow and separation, to ensure that the separation process is carried out smoothly.
2.Production demand matching
Production scale: the production scale is one of the important factors in deciding the selection of centrifuges. In large-scale industrial production, such as large-scale chemical enterprises, mining enterprises, etc., the huge demand for material handling capacity, the need to choose a strong processing capacity, the ability to run continuously centrifuges, such as horizontal spiral sedimentation centrifuges, push centrifuges and so on. These centrifuges can meet the requirements of large-scale production for efficient and stable separation, ensuring the continuity and efficiency of the production process. For small-scale production scenarios such as small enterprises or laboratories, such as small food processing plants and scientific research laboratories, vertical centrifuges are the ideal choice due to their small footprint and easy operation. It can achieve rapid separation of materials in a limited space and meet the demand for flexibility and convenience in small-scale production.
Processing capacity: According to the demand for material processing capacity in actual production, it is crucial to accurately select the model and specification of the centrifuge. Different models of centrifuges have different processing capacities, and when selecting a model, it is necessary to choose a centrifuge that can meet the requirements of this processing capacity according to the amount of material to be processed in the production line per hour or per day. For example, in the sewage treatment plant, according to the daily processing capacity of sewage, select the horizontal spiral sedimentation centrifuge with appropriate processing capacity, in order to ensure that sewage can be timely and effective treatment.
Separation efficiency: for some of the higher product quality requirements of the industry, such as pharmaceutical, food and other industries, separation efficiency is one of the key indicators of centrifuge selection. In these industries, it is necessary to ensure that the impurities in the material can be thoroughly separated to ensure the purity and quality of the product. Therefore, centrifuges with high separation efficiency should be selected, such as centrifuges with advanced filtration systems or efficient sedimentation and separation technology. By improving the separation efficiency, it can not only improve the product quality, but also reduce the waste of materials, reduce the production cost and improve the economic efficiency of the enterprise.
