Abstract: A belt press for use in removing water from sewage sludge, and including a frame, a pair of belts for compressing sludge material therebetween, the said belts being water-permeable whereby water in said sludge may drain through said belts, and a gravity belt thickener adjacent the belt press. The gravity belt thickener includes a belt having a belt flight adapted to support sewage sludge thereon, the belt of the gravity belt thickener having a width greater than the width of the belt of the belt press.

Abstract: A sewage sludge filtering system adapted for use with a polymer mixer for mixing a liquid polymer with sludge to produce an output mixture comprising coagulated sludge particles and water which comprises an elongated mesh hammock, a support arrangement for supporting the hammock in a generally horizontal orientation, and a piping system for communicating the output mixture to the interior of the hammock whereby the coagulated sludge particles are retained in the hammock and gradually dried as water escapes through the mesh of the hammock. An elongated filtrate tray is disposed under the mesh hammock for collecting filtrate and returning it to a sewage treatment facility.

Abstract: Metals are removed from waste water by chemical precipitation and filtration. The system is controlled by a control system responsive to an ion specific electrode and a pH responsive electrode in a manifold that recycles filtrate to a reaction tank where precipitation occurs.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for plasma separation/exchange by double-step-membrane filtration, namely separation of blood into plasma and a corpuscular fraction and separation of high-molecular-weight substances (e.g. gamma-globulin) in the plasma from low-molecular-weight substances (e.g. albumin), and addition of a substitute fluid. A method of treating blood is also provided.The apparatus and method are effective e.g. in the treatment of blood of patients with peripheral circulatory insufficiency due to arteriosclerosis and of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease.

Abstract: A sludge condensation and dewatering apparatus is described which comprises a condensation unit and a dewatering unit. The condensation unit comprises a flocculating reaction tank (1) for forming a sludge flock, a first holding tank (2) slantingly arranged and upwardly inclined along the moving direction of the sludge, a conveyor for conveying the sludge flock from the flocculation tank to the holding tank for retaining the sludge flock produced by the flocculation reaction tank and an endless running screen belt (3) located just below and adjacent to the first holding tank, a dewatering unit, a solidification device (13) in communication with the first holding tank located between the condensation unit and the dewatering unit. The dewatering unit comprises an upper running piled filter cloth (4) and a lower running piled filter cloth (5), a plurality of rolls (R.sub.1 -R.sub.

Abstract: An improved aerobic waste treatment package which both simplifies maintenance of the system and increases the interval between necessary maintenance through the use of a removable surge bowl which forms part of a centrally disposed, large capacity, surge chamber positioned above the waste treatment holding tank. The package also simplifies maintenance by permitting removal of the surge bowl without disconnecting the electrical connections to the package and through the use of a simplified system for suspending porous filter bags from a hanger plate extending across the top of the holding tank.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for fractionating a liquid sample is disclosed. The liquid sample is generally blood plasma or blood serum from which it is desired to selectively remove low density lipoproteins while leaving behind high density lipoproteins. The apparatus comprises a chamber having a plurality of inert beads or particles in an upper portion thereof. The chamber is preferably defined by a disposable column. A dry reagent aliquot suitable for reacting with the liquid sample is coated upon the beads or particles. An upper filter is disposed in the chamber below the beads to retain the liquid sample during reaction. After reaction, the liquid sample is expressed through the upper filter and flows into a lower portion of the chamber. The lower portion includes a lower filter which separates low density lipoprotein containing flocculent from high density lipoprotein containing supernatant.

Abstract: A degassing apparatus which has a degassing head from which extends a tube; a shaft is rotated in the tube; a screw conveyor above intake holes of the tube conveys drill mud upward against a deflector disc at the open top of the tube; three rows of inwardly inclined baffles around the side wall of the degassing head are so arranged that the baffles of the various rows are staggered relatively to one another; the mud flows by gravity to the inclined bottom of the head and to an outlet leading out of the head to a container for the degassed mud; a fan above the deflector disc sucks air through the mud spray and out through an outlet; a conduit conducts gas from below the mud spray to the fan and a vent; the shaft at the bottom of the tube is held in a bearing protected against influx of mud; adjustable legs on the degasser head are adapted to support the head on top of a vessel in which the drill mud is contained.

Abstract: Residual moisture and sulfur and other residual reducing agent impurities contained in drycleaning solvents are removed by adding to the solvents an unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon or a halogen or alkyl substituted aromatic hydrocarbon and circulating the hydrocarbon-containing solvent through a filter system comprising two filters; one filter containing a solid acid and the other containing chromate compound.

Abstract: Treatment plant for treating a fluid formed by waters and sludges and comprising a decanting system; a first centrifuging system for separating, on the one hand, the spent waters and, on the other hand, the sludges formed by organic compounds containing or not heavy metals and the sludges formed by higher-density mineral compounds; an irradiation device for irradiating, by means of an accelerated electron beam for example, the sludges formed by organic compounds and especially those containing heavy metals so as to convert them into mineral compounds which are less toxic and have a high density; a second centrifuging system for subsequently separating and eliminating these mineral compounds.

Abstract: Within a chamber having an inlet for admitting a sludgy substance for dewatering and an outlet for discharging the dewatered cake of the sludgy substance, there are disposed two laterally opposed filtration trains each consisting of a plurality of rotary filter elements which are each formed of a multiplicity of circular plates arranged face to face in the axial direction at fixed intervals and which are so disposed that they intermesh so as to permit the circular plates of each rotary filter element to partially enter the corresponding spaces between the circular plates of the adjacent rotary filter elements.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for treating water/wastewater to remove grit, susped and colloidal solids of organic and inorganic nature, microorganisms and surfactants. Dense suspended solids (grit) are first removed by a centrifugation process. The influent water/wastewater is then passed through coagulation and flocculation chambers, an upflow clarifier and a high-rate settling chamber for final sedimentation. Next, the influent passes through a foam filter to remove colloidal particles. The water/wastewater under treatment is then pressurized and saturated with air and subsequently depressurized, causing the dissolved gas to bubble out of solution floating out suspended contaminants. At this point, ozone is introduced into the influent to create a thicker, more dense foam by oxidizing organic matter and for disinfection purposes. The foam floated to the surface of the influent is scraped off and furnishes the foam for the foam filter.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for purifying water by filtration, according to which water is passed in an upward direction through one or more sand beds supported in towers, at a slow rate of flow so that the sand bed is not disturbed. The sand bed or layer is relatively deep vertically to provide superior filtration. Raw water feed to each tower is accomplished by tangential flow from the inlets. Rapid backwash of the sand bed is accomplished by opening a dump valve at the lower end of a cone provided at the base of the tower in which the sand bed is supported. Maintenance and control of bacterial activity in the lower part of the sand bed enhances purification of the water by bacterial action. Chemical treatments of the water may be used in conjuction with the filtration, including treatments with chlorine, and with alum (i.e. aluminum sulphate and/or potassium or ammonium alum) to produce a floc, and barium sulphate and/or a drilling mud may be added to assist in removal of the floc by filtration.

Abstract: A method for removing mercury from water contaminated with mercury comprising contacting water containing metallic mercury with finely divided anthracite coal. The mercury laden water can be first treated with sodium borohydride to reduce dissolved mercury to the metallic form. The water treated with reducing agent, is filtered through a pressure leaf filter coated with a filter aid, contacted with anthracite coal and contacted with chelating resin.

Abstract: A mixing chamber for thickening sludge, especially sludges in a sewage clarification plant by means of a flocculation agent in combination with an overflow drainage means wherein the sewage feed to the bottom of the mixing chamber enters a mixing zone and flows upwardly into an overflow at the top and out through a diversion means for the thickened sludge leading to a sedimentation belt or to a press filter, handling to the outside of the mixing chamber. The top of the mixing zone is widened by means of a flow section for the thickened sludge which is formed by dewatering through the perforated screen walls and the waste water is disposed downstream of the agitated mixing zone.

Abstract: An improved sewage treatment system including a horizontally elongated tank divided transversely into a primary, aeration compartment, a secondary, settling compartment and a tertiary, filtering compartment. In a first aspect of the invention, overflow of treated effluent from the tank enters a further treatment section, which may constitute a longitudinal extension of the tank, wherein the effluent is constrained by baffles to flow in an elongated path while having chlorine or ozone mixed therewith to provide further purification. Another aspect of the invention resides in the novel structure of the filtering section wherein filter screens of different guage or opening size are used to achieve a greater degree of purification.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for use in carrying out liquid-liquid extraction techniques, which apparatus includes an extraction column containing a unique solvent sorbing packing material, namely a plurality or bundle of elongated fibrous strands having first and second end portions, the strands being capable of sorbing a desired solvent; the apparatus also includes a separation zone in communication with the second end of the plurality of fibrous strands, means for feeding a first or heavy solvent phase through the bundle of fibrous strands so as to be sorbed by said strands, and subsequently into the separation zone, means for feeding a second or light solvent phase into the separation zone and thence through the annular spaces of the column, around the fibrous strands contained therein, means for recovering the light solvent phase from the first end of said bundle and means for recovering said heavy solvent phase from said separation zone.

Abstract: In filters of the type in which a cake of solids deposited from a liquid slurry thereof on a generally horizontal filter medium is subjected to treatment involving passage of liquid through the cake while on the filter medium, means is provided for increasing the drainage rate of the formed cake by causing the cake to form on the medium from the slurry fed thereto by gravity settling in the liquor of the slurry and by removing liquor of the slurry from above the cake while the liquor still contains unsettled fine particles.

Abstract: In filters of the type in which a cake of solids deposited from a liquid slurry thereof on a generally horizontal filter medium is subjected to treatment involving passage of liquid through the cake while on the filter medium, means is provided for increasing the drainage rate of the formed cake by causing the cake to form on the medium from the slurry fed thereto by gravity settling in the liquor of the slurry and by removing liquor of the slurry from above the cake while the liquor still contains unsettled fine particles, such means including means providing a backflushing flow of liquid through the underside of the filter medium and the cake forming thereon into the slurry.

Abstract: A multifiltration unit operated by pressure and/or vacuum and accommodating simultaneously in separate sealed chambers a number of disposable filter holders. The unit has a single cover with self-tightening means.