Among the many links in industrial production, material dehydration is a key operation that directly affects the efficiency of subsequent processing and the quality of finished products. Especially in the fields of petrochemicals, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, environmental engineering, etc., there are more and more high-viscosity and high-solid content materials, and their dehydration treatment has become more and more complicated. Such materials have poor fluidity, are easy to clog, and have slow sedimentation speed. Traditional methods such as filter pressing and natural sedimentation are often inefficient, energy-intensive, or even impossible to handle.
Typical difficulties in dehydrating high-viscosity materials
Before understanding the advantages of the horizontal screw centrifuge, we must first understand the three major difficulties that high-viscosity materials usually face during dehydration:
1. Poor fluidity and difficulty in feeding and discharging
High-viscosity materials have properties such as colloids and thick pastes. They are difficult to flow by themselves, and the feeding is uneven and the slag discharge is not smooth, which can easily cause equipment blockage or reduced efficiency.
2. Slow separation speed and low efficiency of traditional equipment
Due to the slow sedimentation speed of particles, the processing time of gravity sedimentation or gravity filtration is long, and the filter press needs to frequently replace the filter cloth and clean the residue, which cannot meet the needs of continuous and efficient production.
3. High moisture content, secondary drying is still required after treatment
Many traditional methods can only achieve primary dehydration, and the residual moisture is still high. It must be further processed with the help of subsequent processes such as drying towers and hot air furnaces, which increases energy consumption and equipment investment.
Principle and advantages of horizontal screw centrifuge
Horizontal screw centrifuge is a device that realizes the rapid separation of solid-liquid two-phase (or three-phase) in materials based on the centrifugal field generated by high-speed rotation. Its core components are a high-speed rotating drum and a coaxial screw conveyor with slightly different rotation speeds.
Working principle:
The material enters the high-speed rotating drum cavity;
Under the strong centrifugal force, the solid particles are quickly thrown to the drum wall;
The screw conveyor pushes the deposited solids to the slag discharge port to achieve continuous discharge;
The clear liquid flows out from the other end to achieve solid-liquid separation.
Advantages for high-viscosity materials:
Super strong centrifugal force: can reach several thousand times the acceleration of gravity, so that the solids in high-viscosity materials can settle quickly;
Strong spiral slag pushing ability: forced slag discharge does not rely on material self-flow, solving the problem of blockage;
Automatic operation: can work continuously without manual intervention, improving stability;
Flexible differential speed adjustment: by adjusting the differential speed between the drum and the spiral, the slag discharge speed and dehydration effect can be optimized;
Can be equipped with a dosing system: used with flocculants to improve separation efficiency and filter cake quality.
Typical industry application case analysis
1. Petrochemical industry: dehydration of oily mud
In oilfield drilling and refinery wastewater treatment, a large amount of oily mud is often produced. This material has extremely high viscosity and complex composition (oil, water, mud, solid impurities, etc.).
Application results:
The horizontal screw centrifuge can perform three-phase separation: separating oil, water and solid residue;
The moisture content of the mud cake can be reduced to below 70% after dehydration;
The recovered oil can be reused, and the water can reach the discharge or reuse standard.
2. Municipal sludge dehydration
The sludge produced in the sedimentation tank of the municipal sewage treatment plant has high moisture content, high viscosity, poor fluidity, and contains a large amount of organic matter, heavy metals and other components, which is difficult to handle.
Application results:
After using the horizontal screw centrifuge, the sludge concentration increased from 1-3% to more than 20%;
The moisture content dropped from more than 98% to about 75%;
The mud discharge is stable and continuous, which greatly reduces the manpower input of the filter press.
3. Pharmaceutical industry: separation of fermentation broth
During the fermentation production process, the bacteria are dense, highly viscous, and shear-sensitive, requiring the equipment to have gentle and efficient separation capabilities.
Application results:
The horizontal screw centrifuge can operate at low shear to protect the active bacteria from being destroyed;
High temperature resistant, medical grade contact materials (such as 316L stainless steel) can be customized;
Ensure closed and pollution-free production, in line with GMP certification requirements.
4. Food industry: pulp, starch, and soy product processing
This type of material has high viscosity and contains a large number of fine particles. Traditional separation equipment often stops frequently due to blockage.
Application results:
The horizontal screw centrifuge can efficiently separate starch, water and fiber;
Continuous processing, slag drying, and high clarity of the clear liquid;
The drum structure and feeding method can be selected according to the characteristics of different materials.
Design optimization of horizontal screw centrifuge for high viscosity materials
For high viscosity and high concentration materials, excellent horizontal screw centrifuge manufacturers usually make the following optimizations in the design:
1. Optimization of drum cone angle and spiral structure
Increase the drum cone angle to extend the residence time of the material in the drum to make dehydration more complete; the design of spiral pitch and pitch should take into account both the conveying capacity and anti-blocking ability.
2. Strengthen the power system
Configure a high-power differential motor to ensure stable slag discharge even under high load and avoid equipment shutdown due to excessive material viscosity.
3. Intelligent control system
Equipped with frequency conversion speed regulation, current monitoring, material load feedback and other systems, adjust the operating parameters in real time according to the material status, improve dehydration efficiency and protect the equipment.
4. Wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials and structures
Common high-viscosity materials contain sand particles and chemical corrosives. The equipment needs to use wear-resistant alloys, stainless steel or ceramic spray structures to increase service life.
Key factors for choosing a suitable decanter centrifuge
High-viscosity materials have complex characteristics, and the performance requirements for equipment under different working conditions vary significantly. Enterprises need to focus on the following points when purchasing decanter centrifuges:
Material viscosity and solid content: choose the appropriate drum diameter and aspect ratio;
Processing capacity: according to the daily processing capacity of the production line design;
Whether three-phase separation: materials containing oil and water need to be equipped with three-phase decanters;
Corrosion resistance and hygiene level: especially in the chemical or food industry.
Dehydration of high-viscosity materials is no longer an industrial problem. With the continuous development and improvement of decanter centrifuge technology, it has become a key equipment for many industries to improve separation efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and optimize process flow. Compared with traditional dehydration equipment, decanter centrifuges provide enterprises with smarter and more environmentally friendly solutions under complex working conditions with their advantages of high efficiency, automation, strong adaptability, and low maintenance.
