Progress in Filtration and Separation

5. Conclusions

Principle of electrically assisted separators or filters is to superimpose an electric field to a conventional separation process. Electric field then induces electrokinetic phenomena or dielectrophoresis which can have beneficial effects. For instance, it can improve the suspension concentration, the liquid or solid purification, the particle fractionation, the dewatering or the consolidation. But, as presented in this chapter, it is necessary to check the properties of the suspension to make sure that the electric field will be efficient. Thus, the electrophoretic and electroosmotic treatments are suitable to remove colloids or fine particles possessing a high surface charge and more usually dispersed in water. The surface properties ...