In sectors such as mining, metal treatment, and wastewater treatment a special variety of side feed filters known as disc filters are commonly used. Apart from heavy duty applications, a disc filter is also often used for filtration and purification of water. These filters comprise of a membrane that is also commonly referred to as the filter cloth. This membrane is stretched firmly over a disc so that the impurities from the flowing material (such as slurry and waste water) are trapped in the grooves of the filter.

Because of their efficacy in heavy duty applications such as dewatering of iron ore taconite, hematite, coal, aluminum hydrate, copper concentrate, pyrite flotation concentrates and beneficiation processes, these filters are very popular in the metal treatment industry. Here, it is important to note that depending on the material needs to be filtered, the right type of filtration media should be used. The commonly available media would include pure polypropylene, cellulose, PVDF, impregnated cellulose, carbon impregnated for high purity applications etc.

Moreover, these filter media can also be bought in varieties such as nominal or absolute rated. In addition the disc media sizes ranging from 5” to 33”. For applications that call for the use of higher sizes of a disc filter, custom varieties can also be ordered for.

Following are some of the other metal finishing and treatment applications for which such filters are commonly used:
Electroplating solutions that include different types of metals.
Polishing of waste effluent
Powder carbon treatment
Metal treatment

For applications where extremely high performance is needed, one can also opt for the high flow capacity filter. These filters do not break, shrink or tear even in high pressure and temperature conditions. These are most ideal for applications such as oil and gas purification, chemical processing and even water treatment. These filters demonstrate a high durability quotient.

Coming back to the topic of disc filters, it is important to consider several criteria that are based on the type of material to be filtered. Here are some quick tips to make the right choice:
Make sure that the membrane or the filter cloth doesn’t clog easily and allows for maximum separation.
Another important aspect to consider would be whether it is easy to replace the tear membrane without too much downtime. If you have a high pressure application that has zero tolerance to tear, it is advisable to opt for a high flow capacity filter.
Since a major part of the filtration process relies on the cloth, it is also imperative to check whether the cake parts easily from the cloth so that time is not wasted in starting the next cycle.
Another important aspect to consider while purchasing a disc filter is the amount of floor space and dollars that you will have to set aside. Both should be low, ideally!