Abstract: A perm-selective membrane is used in an electrokinetic cell of an electrically augmented vacuum filter (EAVF) to prevent the migration of anions from the anode and optionally cathode compartments. The perm-selective membrane in the form of a film laminated to a support grid effectively prevents migration of anions into the filter cake and migration of fine particle solid to be filtered from the slurry into the anolyte and/or catholyte.

Abstract: The apparatus extracts samples of a fluid stream containing colloidal suspended solids at a detection station wherein the electrophoretic mobility (EM) of the colloidal suspended solids is determined. The detection station automatically measures the EM and provides such data to a computer, which computes the Zeta Potential. The computer also receives other information relating to the characteristics of the colloidal suspended solids, such as temperature, the percent of solids, and the flow rate of the fluid system. The computer is programmed to interpret the input data and to provide corrective signals to processing apparatus which automatically adjust and control the additives fed into the fluid stream to achieve automatic flocculation correction so that the agglomeration of the colloidal suspended solids in the fluid stream is optimized.