Application of Filter Press in Mica Slurry Dehydration

Mica, as a raw material of minerals, is widely used in the electronics industry, plastic industry, rubber industry, paper industry, paint industry, etc. Mica slurry after beneficiation needs to be dehydrated. The mud cake after dehydration has other wide applications. Its high water content and fine particle characteristics make dehydration processing challenging. In this process, the filter press has become an ideal equipment for processing mica slurry with its high efficiency and energy saving. The following is the application of filter press in mica slurry dehydration.

Difficulties in Processing Mica Slurry

Fine particles: mica slurry particles are finely distributed and easily clog the filter cloth or filter screen of traditional dewatering equipment.
High water content: mica slurry is usually highly viscous and has a high water content when untreated, and reliable dewatering equipment is required to reduce the moisture content.
Large processing volume demand: The amount of mica slurry generated in industrial production is large, and the equipment needs to have strong continuous processing capabilities.

Mica Slurry Dehydration Process

Collecting mica slurry
First, the mica slurry generated during the production process is collected. In order to ensure the subsequent dehydration effect, the particle distribution and water content of the slurry need to be initially tested.

Conditioning and stirring
The collected mica slurry is transported to the conditioning tank through a pipeline. In the conditioning tank, the slurry is fully mixed by a stirring device to ensure that the particles of the slurry are evenly distributed. Special attention should be paid to not adding flocculants to avoid chemical additives that damage the natural properties of mica while maintaining the purity of the final product.

Pumped to plate and frame filter press
The evenly stirred mica slurry is transported to the plate and frame filter press by a special slurry pump. The mica slurry enters the filter chamber at this stage, and the water is gradually blocked and discharged by the filter cloth, and the remaining solid particles form a filter cake.

Double dehydration by diaphragm pressing
For a more efficient dehydration effect, a diaphragm filter press is used to further reduce the moisture content of the filter cake through double pressing. First, the initial pressing, and mechanical pressure causes the liquid to be discharged quickly, completing the primary dehydration. Then the diaphragm is squeezed, and the diaphragm plate expands to provide additional pressure to further squeeze out the residual water in the filter cake.

Clean water circulation or discharge
The filtered clean water can be directly recycled to the production line for recycling, or discharged as needed. The reuse of clean water significantly reduces the cost of wastewater treatment and improves the environmental protection level of the overall production.

Conclusion

In the dehydration of mica slurry, the filter press achieves efficient solid-liquid separation through conditioning and stirring, plate and frame filtration, diaphragm pressing, and other steps. The whole process does not require the addition of chemical agents, which not only protects the characteristics of mica but also achieves the purpose of environmental protection and energy saving. It is an ideal solution for mica slurry treatment.

Application of Filter Press in Mica Slurry Dehydration