Gravity Thickener*

A gravity thickener is a class of solid-walled separator where gravitational force is used to raise the concentration of a suspension through sedimentation to produce a thickened sludge with a clear liquid as overflow. The rate of sedimentation should be as high as possible to both increase throughput and reduce floor area. Sedimentation rates are often artificially increased by the addition of coagulants or flocculants. The cross-sectional area of a thickener controls the time available for sedimentation and is important in determining clarification capacity. The depth controls sludge thickening time and is an important parameter in determining thickening capacity.

*This definition was reprinted by permission from the "Dictionary of Filtration and Separation". The "Dictionary" contains over 1500 definitions and 400 diagrams and photos. More information on the "Dictionary" and order form can be found here.

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