Filtration

The filters described thus far are used most commonly to collect a solid material suspended in a liquid. Clarifying filters, on the other hand, are designed to collect a liquid that is as free from solid impurities as possible. The most important feature of a clarifying filter, then, is the filter itself. It must be constructed in such a way as to remove the very smallest particles suspended in the liquid. A number of systems have been developed to achieve this objective. Some rely on the use of wires or fibers very closely spaced together. Others make use of finely powdered materials, such as diatomaceous earth.