A DISSECTION METHOD FOR ANALYZING FILTER CAKES

A filter cake formed on a planar septum (membrane), or a sedimentary c ake formed by gravity, has properties which vary only in one dimension . A method is described for the mechanical dissection of such cakes wh ich enables properties, e.g. the solids concentration, to be measured with a spatial resolution of about 0.5 mm. Experimental results are gi ven for a variety of fitter cakes, ranging from the highly compressibl e to the almost incompressible. The method is simple, robust and inexp ensive. It is shown to be also easily adapted for measurements of sedi mentation.