by Nguemtue Nguemtue Thiery¹,², Nsoe Mengue Jean Jacques Nestor ¹,²*, Amba Esegni Victoria², Nouria Zihane², Kofa Guillaume Patrice², Ndi Koungou Sylvere², Kayem Guifo Joseph².
1 Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Environment, University Institute of Technology (IUT), University of Ngaoundere, P.O. Box 455, Ngaoundere, Cameroon. 2 Water Treatment and Filtration Research (Chem. Eng.) Group, Department of Process Engineering, ENSAI, University of Ngaoundere, P.O. Box 455, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
MJ Engineering Sciences, 1(1), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.63156/mjes02
Received: 16.01.2025 Accepted: 17.04.2025 Published online: 06.05.2025
AbstractCoagulation and flocculation are essential in water clarification but rely on costly chemical reagents that can leave harmful residues and generate polluting sludge. This study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of bilayer (limestone/pozzolan) and mixed (homogeneous blend) filters for clarifying lateritic suspensions. A suspension with 30 ± 1 NTU turbidity and pH 6.00 ± 0.05 was prepared. Filters were composed of pozzolan and limestone granules (1–2 mm) and characterized by porosity, permeability, bed surface area, and Reynolds number. Flow behavior was determined using a 1 M glucose solution. The bilayer and mixed filters showed porosities of 67.24% and 62.49%, permeabilities of 3.51×10⁻⁷ and 5.73×10⁻⁷ m², and bed surface areas of 2911.99 and 3334.22 m², respectively. Reynolds numbers were 1.42 and 1.75, indicating piston flow in both systems. The mixed filter achieved 65% turbidity removal, outperforming the bilayer filter’s 50%, and had a lower pressure drop (780 Pa vs. 820 Pa). These results suggest that the mixed filter offers better performance and efficiency, making it a promising alternative for the clarification of lateritic suspensions. |
