Abstract: A filter plate which is longitudinally partitioned between its inlet and outlet ends, and features liquid feed and collection troughs at the respective ends which are of progressively decreasing depth from the medial part of the trough to the extremities thereof. Such plates may be associated in opposed, relatively inverted pairs to form enclosed flow channels characterized by fluid flow rates which are substantially uniform across the full transverse extent of the flow path and which facilitate the utilization of the full areal extent of the filter media employed therewith. Also described in a unitary filter element which may be usefully employed in the filter.The filter of the invention may be highly efficiently employed for dewatering of aqueous biomass suspensions, desalting of proteins, removal of secreted metabolites from cellular suspensions, and the like.

Abstract: According to the invention, the grains of the hydrate slurry are separated by sedimentation where the dispersed bubbles of air are removed in course of the presizing, then a supplementary sizing is carried out. Preferably, a liquid free from hydrate grains is fed in to stream against the sinking grains. This liquid is advantageously the spent liquor of the hydrate filter. The apparatus according to the invention consists of a container with conical bottom, a feeding device, a slurry outlet stub and an overflow channel. The inlet stubs of the feeding device, however, are placed off-center and every stub is connected with a presizing equipment. This equipment is composed of a bundle of pipes and/or a pack of plates which are slop placed to geometrical axis: At the upper part of the presizing equipment there is a foam overflow apparatus. The bottom of each presizing equipment is connected with a common cone-frustum type deflector casing. The casing is concentric with the container.